Youth development needs funding

 YOUTH or persons between the ages of 12 and 25 make up a very large percentage of the population in Papua New Guinea.

These are the people who are just ending primary school education and entering high schools, the people who are entering the confusing world of adolescence, the group that is sexually active, the group is entering tertiary institutions or finishing from there to join the work force, the group that is vulnerable to all manner of manipulation and indoctrination. 

This is the group that is at its most productive and one that needs much guidance and support and does not seem to be getting it.

Just this week the announcement was made that land had been acquired for a National Youth Development Institute but money is not yet available for it. 

It is hoped the money is made available in next year’s  budget or even sooner. 

It is uncertain whether the money will come at all.

And that is how it has been for youth development from the 1980s to today. 

There has been much hype about the importance of youth and its capacity to contribute to development but nothing much has been done to support them.

The National Youth Movement Programme (NYMP) was established in 1980. 

This was translated into a National Youth Policy in 1983 placing emphasis on mobilisation, participation and productiveness of young people.

Nothing much happened after the establishment of the movement until 1991 when the NYMP replaced the National Youth Service Act. 

The law emphasised networking, total participation and advancement, noble principles but ones that failed off the pages of planning books to actually work for the youth of the nation.

In 1993, the government directed the National Youth Commission to review both the 1983 policy and the National Youth Service Act.

That led to the revised policy of 1997 which was enacted into law two years later as the National Youth Commission Act (1999).

This act and the accompanying policy was revised in 2003 and ended with the 10-year 2007-2017 National Youth Policy.

It is a good document with plenty of information on distribution of population in the country, on community profiles, on population growth, family and social lifestyles, employment opportunities, urbanisation and migratory patterns, education and health and political structures. 

As is normal with most policy documents in PNG, it takes a holistic approach and is commendable in many respects.

It links to other government policies such as the Lukautim Pikinini Policy and Act of 2007; the Informal Sector policy (2006), the Integrated Community Development policy (2007), the National Agriculture plan, the National Education plan, The national Fisheries plan, the National Health plan, the National Population policy, the National Sports policy, The National Women’s policy and the National Strategic Plan on HIV and AIDS plan.

The fact that it was developed under the watchful eyes of former Community Affairs minister Dame Carol Kidu was an added bonus.

Most of the policy documents referred to above, including the Informal Sector policy and the sports Way Forward policy document, were done under her watch.

Policies and programmes are good but as The National has often remarked in this space, they must be implemented. 

Lack of implementation of good policies and programmes is lamentable and a disgraceful state of affairs for Papua New Guinea. If only half of the beautiful plans and programs were implemented, this nation would be much further down Development Boulevard.

It is all very well to say that youth programmes must encourage equal and maximum participation by young men and women as a basic statement of principles and values underlying the policy, but we have heard that before, have we not? Indeed, that is what was said in 1983 – 30 years ago – in fact.

It is far more important to ask: How is it being done and who is supposed to be doing it? Where are the programmes that youths specifically must be involved in? Where are the funding for such programmes if they exist?

The National Youth Development Institute is a specific project which will give meaning to all that has been talked about. It is a good start. 

Now for that funding …