YOUTH WAKE UP CALL

The youth force is an invaluable asset of the nation. The youth is not only a vital source of the state but also a change agent. The youths are pioneers of economic, social, political and cultural transformation and change driving force. This class remains as an important asset of the nation because of courage, innovativeness, inquisitiveness and high level of self-confidence, which is also considered to be a main source of nation building. In Somaliland 70% of the total population, are youth, Given that the youth is the backbone of the nation from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, it is necessary to make overall development of the youth and include their capacity in the mainstream of national development. The Somaliland National Youth Policy is framed with a view to imparting loyalty of youths to the nation, nationality and the people, fulfilling the basic needs of the youths and promoting basic values and norms such as the principles of equality and equitable distribution, constitutional supremacy, individual freedom, universal principles of human rights, democratic values and norms, protection and promotion of ethnic, linguistic and environmental heritages and co-existence. Given that the youths are the agent of economic, social and political change, the central need of this time is to specially address this class by a national policy and forge their involvement in the nation building. The youths have rendered an outstanding contribution to every political change, founding of democracy and other social movements in Somaliland. As Somaliland has been struggling to rebuild the state, youth have been a major player in the reconstruction and took the most significant role in the process; SNM could not work, sustain its struggle and turn its dreams into reality without the imperative support of the youth. Somaliland could not embark upon the peace and stability initiatives without the endorsement of the youth who were holding guns and having heavy weaponry in their hands. The young militia men were those who obeyed their elders without conditions, put their guns down and managed to rehabilitate their selves. Again, they were those who dared to safeguard their nation by persevering the challenges of poverty and paucity of opportunities. This is remarkable fortitude and courage which really deserves meaningful acknowledgement. In the democratization process, youth are heroes worth to be noted and learned from. Without our youth, I doubt our elections would be successful as such. They were managing the voting process and at the same time were voting for the parties. They were conducting the parties’ campaign rallies and were looking after the stability and the peacefulness of the process. In this regard, let me give the credit to the youth and say to them you are really those who stood up and made our democratization process successful. Despite the immense contributions of the youth The Somaliland government has to pursue a concrete policy in order to institutionalize regime in consonance with the inclusive, proportional and equal development principles, to maintain national independence and sovereignty of Somaliland, materialize the potentiality of youth leadership in the economic, social, political and cultural transformation and ensure the active participation of the youths in each and every process of state functionality