The Mano River Union Youth Parliament (MRUYP)’s first deputy speaker, Donald Kalokoh, has told journalists at a press briefing in Freetown that the MRUYP has urged the three governments of the MRU basin to adopt a youth national education scheme.
He said at the MRU’s second regional session in Monrovia at the University of Liberia auditorium from August 27-31, youth discussed issues dealing with the welfare of young people in the sub-region.
MRUYP, Kalokoh noted, also declared that under the national education scheme the various governments would consider among others, devolution of higher education; standardization of the educational sector (vocational and technical education); incentives for high academic performance; cross cultural education; enforcement of bilingual education (French and English ) in “our education system”.
Hon. Kalokoh revealed that the second regional session brought together 36 young parliamentarians and representatives of youth organizations from MRU countries, with a view to share experiences and common concerns as well as developing concrete actions for the betterment of the sub-region.
Hon. Kalokoh disclosed that the president of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, did the official opening of the session and that she welcomed the young law makers of the MRU from neighboring countries to Liberia.
He noted that President Sirleaf expressed hope that member states and leaders would observe and take into consideration the theme of the session youth strategic partners for peace, security and poverty reduction in the MRU basin.
President Sirleaf, he stated, challenged the youth to concentrate on the eradication of corruption, combating HIV/AIDS and building of their intellectual capacities.
The first deputy speaker opined that President Sirleaf called on the youth to engage governments and private sectors to create programmes to combat poverty.
He added that the panelists discussed the promotion and maintenance of peace and security through proactive youth activities in the MRU; the role of the youth parliament; combating the spread of HIV/AIDS; choosing better life options; challenging youth in the MRU basin, accountability and transparency and responsibilities of youth in MRU basin.
The honourable echoed that panel discussions were followed by a parliamentary debate and that at the end of the four days of fruitful deliberations, the parliamentarians issued a joint communiqué known as the “Monrovia Declaration”, which would be used as a working instrument for the improvement of the lives of young people and maintaining peace and security with member countries in the MRUS basin.
Speeches, he said, were made by Anthony Kamara the director of the ministry of youth and sports in Sierra Leone, USAID representatives, Liberia’s minister of commerce, Guinea’s Ambassador to Liberia, speaker of the Liberia legislature and WAYN representatives among others.
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