National Youth Council calls for effective policies
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Jornal Tropical
Illustrative image · Mikhail Nilov · Pexels · Licence PexelsSão Tomé and Príncipe's National Youth Council is calling for public policies offering young people more jobs, training, housing and access to credit. The organisation also wants a national strategy with clear targets, resources and deadlines, according to its statement sent to Lusa.
São Tomé and Príncipe's National Youth Council (CNJ) has called for "effective public policies" that "generate real opportunities" for the archipelago's young people, citing training, employment and housing, while many see emigration as a necessity. In a statement sent to the Portuguese agency Lusa and reported by Jornal Tropical, the organisation calls on the state to take responsibility: "Young people do not need repeated promises. They need results."
The CNJ calls for a National Youth Strategy "that gets off paper and produces concrete change", institutions that listen more to young people, and commitments with clear targets, resources and deadlines, as well as support for entrepreneurship, access to credit and effective participation in decision-making processes. The message was to be read at the official ceremony organised by the government for São Toméan Youth Day, celebrated on Thursday, but the Council decided not to take part after noting communication and organisational failings.
The organisation stresses that many young people remain unemployed, without access to decent opportunities and sometimes without hope of building their future in their native country, and that communities still lack water, electricity, health care, housing and quality public services. The CNJ also calls on development partners to continue supporting initiatives for opportunities, inclusion and training for young people.
