Posted Monday, September 2 2013 at 22:36
In Summary
Educational institutions, the media, families,
civic and religious organisations are key standardising agencies that
can also be put to use in pushing for the attainment of this maturity.
Results of a new survey by a youth-led
development agency – Restless Development – show that if the next
General Election were to be held today, only 60 per cent of Tanzania’s
youth would go out to cast their vote.
The study actually reflects what happened in the
2010 General Election. Why, out of the 20 million men and women – most
of whom were youth – who had registered as voters, only 8 million voted
on October 31.
For well-informed citizens, voting is not only
about participating in this right enshrined in the Constitution; it is
also about deciding the country’s future in matters of economic
development, peace and security as well as determining its future.
This is one of the reasons civic education is
important – to enable citizens to attain levels of political maturity
with which to make informed choices and observe the principle known as
‘responsible freedom’ in their everyday conduct.
It is possible to achieve this ideal situation if
everyone play their part. To start with, politicians must rise above the
ideologies of their parties such that their political rallies are
turned into ‘classrooms’ where the audience, particularly the youth, are
educated on self-awareness and what it means to be a responsible
citizen.
Educational institutions, the media, families,
civic and religious organisations are key standardising agencies that
can also be put to use in pushing for the attainment of this maturity.
Creators of works of art – writers, poets,
performers, musicians, sculptors, illustrators, playwrights, and others
can play a useful role in shaping our society.
The survey findings, therefore, serve as a wake-up
call to us all as a nation. It is a call geared to an attainment of
full growth in the very essence of our being: intellectual, spiritual,
physical, social and economic.
The call should remind us, lest we forget our
cardinal enemies: poverty, disease and ignorance. Each of us, and
especially our youth, must all play our part to conquer them.
source: The citizen
source: The citizen
