Students and Youth Festival begins in Takoradi

Mr Edward Osei-Kwaku, Minister of Youth and Sports, on Monday called on the youth to help erase the negative and "stereotype" image about Africa through education and culture.

"The portrayal of violence as an acceptable way of resolving conflicts and the dominance of alien cultural norms and values, run counter to our development efforts," he added. These were contained in an address read on behalf of the Minister at the opening of a five-day Students and Youth Festival (SYFEST 2002) at Takoradi.

The festival, which was under the theme: "Reinforcing African Renaissance through culture," brought together 200 delegates from 12 African countries. Mr Osei-Kwaku said the youth, who constituted over a third of the total population of Africa, were the greatest resource for Africa's renaissance.

Mr Osei-kwaku said African Renaissance could be achieved through a disciplined and empowered youth, who held the key to the continents achievement and sustainability. "The challenges and opportunities facing Africa are those brought about by the interrelated phenomena of globalisation and the emergence of new information and communication technologies," he mentioned.

Madam Sophia Horner-Sam, Deputy Western Regional Minister said the only way the continent could enhance its capacity building for sustainable socio-economic development, was through harmonisation, regional integration and easy access to information among African countries.

"It is clear that the continent has suffered for so long from self afflicted conflicts and wars, resulting in famine, illiteracy, diseases, hardships and more importantly the disintegration of the continent, unfair international trade and global transfer of economic and human resources," she stressed.

Madam Horner-Sam suggested that the developmental policies and programmes of the Ghanaian government should reflect the country's cultural background. "Blind copying should be substituted with strategies which are consistent and suitable to our environment," she added

Mrs Rebecca Dadzie, Deputy Regional Director of Education, advised the delegates not to turn the festival into an entertainment event but rather, assess the continent's problems and develop strategies for its total emancipation.

She tasked the youth not to allow language barrier to divide them and proposed a common "lingua franca" aimed at uniting the African continent. Mrs Dadzie asked them to come out with suggestions on how to handle persons affected and living with HIV/AIDS, drug addicts, the disabled and visually impaired, to enable them contribute to development.

Mr Albert K. Mensah, co-ordinator of SYFEST said the festival was meant to make information easy and accessible to all youths within the continent, to enhance capacity building and facilitate regional integration. He said the Pan African Youth Think Tank (PAYOTT) resource centre, would be established after the festival.

Mr Mensah, explained that the centre, would serve as a centre of excellence, to encourage research work aimed at linking together the Centre for Economic and Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Accra, the African Institute of South African and the Human Sciences Research Council all in South Africa.