{"id":1110,"date":"2024-09-03T00:19:05","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T00:19:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/?p=1110"},"modified":"2024-09-03T00:19:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T00:19:13","slug":"pnafrica-prepares-the-youth-for-governance-with-national-mock-parliament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/pnafrica-prepares-the-youth-for-governance-with-national-mock-parliament\/","title":{"rendered":"PNAfrica Prepares the Youth for Governance with National Mock Parliament"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Accra, Ghana<strong> \u2013 The Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica), a leading civil society organization committed to parliamentary development across the continent, has officially launched its National Mock Parliament. This groundbreaking initiative is designed to boost youth participation in governance by providing students from tertiary institutions with a unique platform to experience and understand the workings of Parliament.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The launch event, held in Accra from Monday, August 26 to Wednesday, August 27,2024, saw the participation of young leaders from various student parliaments, the National Youth Authority&#8217;s Youth Parliament, and other youth bodies with parliamentary-like structures. These groups will come together to simulate parliamentary proceedings, debate national issues, and offer practical solutions to some of the country\u2019s most pressing challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"543\" src=\"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-02-at-1.28.57-PM-1024x543.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-02-at-1.28.57-PM-1024x543.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-02-at-1.28.57-PM-300x159.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-02-at-1.28.57-PM-768x407.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WhatsApp-Image-2024-09-02-at-1.28.57-PM.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Group photograph with the Rt. Hon. Supiir<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Reinvigorating Youth Participation<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking at the event, Mr. Gilbert Borketey Boyefio, Programmes Manager of PNAfrica, emphasized the critical need to reenergize Ghana\u2019s youth towards active participation in national development. He described the mock parliament as a key component of PNAfrica&#8217;s broader efforts to enhance civic participation among young people and women.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis initiative offers young people a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the parliamentary process, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary for future leadership roles in governance. It\u2019s about filling the void left by the collapse of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) and creating a unified platform for various youth groups to engage meaningfully in national discourse,\u201d Mr. Boyefio stated.<br>A Collaborative Platform for National Dialogue<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The National Mock Parliament aims to bring diverse youth voices to the forefront of national discussions. One of the key topics for debate is the implementation of the recently passed Affirmative Action Bill. Mr. Boyefio noted that the suggestions and recommendations from the youth would be communicated to the relevant authorities, ensuring that their voices are heard at the highest levels.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his remarks, the newly elected Speaker of the National Mock Parliament, Elisha Supiir Npoangnan, expressed his commitment to using the platform to champion the ideas and concerns of the youth. \u201cThis is a serious responsibility, and it\u2019s a great privilege to serve as the first Speaker of this House. Our goal is to propel national topics to the highest level and ensure that the youth have a say in shaping Ghana\u2019s future,\u201d Npoangnan said.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Training and Advocacy<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The launch event also featured training sessions aimed at empowering participants with knowledge of parliamentary practices and the effective use of social media for advocacy. Mr. Boyefio stressed the importance of constructive national discourse, urging the youth to focus on consensus-building and what benefits the country, rather than falling into the divisive behaviors often seen in the national Parliament.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want the youth to channel their energy into productive national dialogue, and not be swayed by political divisions. This mock parliament is about teaching them the value of constructive debate and collaboration,\u201d he added.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continuing the Mission<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking ahead, PNAfrica plans to continue supporting the participants even after they return to their respective campuses. The organization is committed to helping these young leaders channel their efforts towards national development and creating a more vibrant and independent youth voice in Ghana\u2019s political landscape.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event concluded with strong calls to action from other key youth leaders, including Justice Alor, the Majority Leader, and Prosper Dyon Akoto, the Minority Leader, who emphasized the importance of the Affirmative Action Bill and continued advocacy for its effective implementation.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The National Mock Parliament is part of PNAfrica\u2019s ongoing efforts to ensure that Ghana\u2019s youth are not only informed but also actively engaged in the governance processes that shape their future.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: Clement Akoloh||africanewsradio.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica), a leading civil society organization committed to parliamentary development across the continent, has officially launched its National Mock Parliament. This groundbreaking initiative is designed to boost youth participation in governance by providing students from tertiary institutions with a unique platform to experience and understand the workings of Parliament.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[841,920,146],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1110"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1113,"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1110\/revisions\/1113"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africanewsradio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}