IT is time again for the World Festival of Youth and Students (WFYS). Namibia just like other progressive countries of the world will send a sizable number of progressive youths to go and share experiences and expectations with their peers.
The international preparatory team chose the theme: “Youth United Against Imperialism, For the World of Peace, Solidarity and Social Transformation,” and the theme is self-explanatory and says it all. This festival is renowned for its progressive and anti-imperialist discussions, and as I personally experienced in 2010, as I was one of the luckiest youths to have attended the festival in South Africa, the festival always takes revolutionary resolutions. In this formulation I would like to shed some light and unplug the cable of confusion delivered out of the self-styled wombs of some youths in general and some youth leaders in particular.
Firstly, I would like to inform the Namibian people that, obviously the World Festival for Youth and Students is a relevant and learning platform for youth on happenings around the world. There is nothing better than for our government to pay for trips like this one and the money of our government cannot be utilized for anything better, if it is not for this festival. In South Africa those of us who are interested and always sanction ourselves to listen; be informed and inform others, had an opportunity to engage with and be engaged by fellow youths from all over the world.
I can’t forget a three hours engagement that I and Comrade Amupanda had with a brother from South Africa who was by then in Grade 8. This boy has a dream of becoming the South African president through the ANC. He told us how he will go about to become a president. We were so inspired by the younger brother and indeed a comrade of the ANCYL. Shockingly, there were many who were interested in sexing themselves and drinking themselves up with alcohol throughout the festival.
The festival starter menu was served in the then Windhoek College of Education Hall when some of the colleagues from the National Youth Council (NYC) decided to fight for Subsistance and Travelling Allowances, better known as S&T. I was flabbergasted to have witnessed this state of affairs from the leadership of the Namibian youth. As that was said, I am now failing to understand as to why some youth leaders are reported in the media to have problems with spending N$6 million on this festival.
Few questions keep popping up in my head: how come the 2010 festival was not a waste of money and this year’s festival is seen through the lens of the wastage of money? How come they also received S&T for the 2010 festival if this festival is not important to them? Does that mean in 2010 and other times Namibia sent youths to this event, there was no money used? It is very important for all those who will attend the WFYS to be aware of what their expectations are and what is expected of them. This trip is not a pre-festival holiday, just like it is not a sexing, shopping spree and boozing tournament. It is a trip that requires major preparation of reading, consultation as a way of paving a way for informed contributions at Quito, in Ecuador. The delegates must take time and reflect on the geo-politics, continental and international politics, as well as economic empowerment discourses.
Not only that, the delegates must also take time and look at how the economies of the progressive nations vis a vis that of the strong nations behave; how those strong nations are pushing their bloody interests onto the poor and weak nations of the third world, through what has come to be known as neo-colonialism. The delegates must be aware of how international bodies operate, be it the UN and some of its organs that have become tools of the imperial countries to experiment with their deadly policy of regime change in Africa.
I hope our delegates are not ready to repeat the 2010 experience as far as the ugly side of the coin is concerned. It is with no regret that I wish to congratulate the Namibian government for paying the trip for about 250 Namibians to attend the festival in Ecuador. This will afford Namibian youths from all walks of life such as from rural and informal settlements, marginalized groups, the disabled, and different political formations an opportunity to be exposed and to learn from fellow youths of the world. I therefore suggest that those who have been involved in this event before and are now seeing it as a waste of money to come out and tell this nation as to why all of a sudden, this event is no more important. Or is it because it is not them who are involved in the preparations, hence they have no opportunity to accumulate S&T? In the final analysis, one continues to wonder how genuine and honest some of our youth leaders are with the government. We must be honest to the people of Namibia, if one takes a list of those who have been attending this festival, you will find that those who have a problem have been attending this festival, why is it a problem now? I would like to sign off by wishing our delegation progressive deliberations at the 18th WFYS.
Aluta continua
Cde Sioni Aluta Iikela
Namibian youth writing from 7de Laan in Windhoek.