|
Childrens Parliament - Western cape PRESS RELEASE
NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN'S PARLIAMENT ON LEADERSHIP, WESTERN CAPE
01 JUNE 2008 We the children and young people of WESTERN CAPE , in this first NELSON MANDELA CHILDREN`S PARLIAMENT on LEADERSHIP, have through discussion and debate learned many things about the conditions and circumstances of children and young people in our province. As a province, we in Western Cape still experience many social problems and challenges like rural development, poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS, crime and other social ills. We acknowledge that while the material condition of children and young people in the country has improved since freedom, not enough attention is being given to children in our province. On this International Children's Day, we have began to recognise the responsibilities carried by government; equally we have learnt that as young people we also carry responsibilities in this regard. It is important for us to speak out about issues that affect us and to form a bridge between government and young people in finding solutions and development plans of action concerning children and young people. We have also recognised the huge challenges and problems that confront children and youth in our province and country. These range from extreme poverty, housing, water provision, rising food and living and costs, to a wide range of social and economic issues. We have learnt that we can do things for ourselves by taking charge of lives through the Rights given to us by Democracy and the responsibilities that flow thereof. We have learnt in the spirit of the Mandela legacy that dialogue is a way of solving problems and creating a better community and nation. Therefore the partnership we seek with government should be one that opens up sincere and honest dialogue between us. In our journey of growth we as young people need to more out of our victim mentality and become truly pro-active in our lives. We recognised that we have come from a history of oppressive abuse, and we seem to continue to abuse each other- people to people, government to people and people to government. In the xenophobic crisis we have taken this abuse to people who have come to us for hospitality. We to address this challenge not only as young people but as a nation. We need to relook at the values of our Democracy and become defenders of our hard fought freedom and human values. This parliament has made us conscious of many issues and responsibilities. Among these is the issue of discrimination- that discrimination is much more complex and that we ought to address these issues urgently, specially the position of the deaf and the marginalised. In education we raised serious concerned on issues of safety. Gangsterism, bullying and violence in the school environment, and the conditions that lead to pregnancy amongst young learners. We also expressed concern for the trafficking of children and growing rates of suicide amongst teenagers. Poverty still remains the biggest issue in the lives of most young people in this province; we are particularly concerned by children of farm workers, those in squatter communities and informal settlement, and children of xenophobic violence. In this process we have learnt to assert ourselves and to see the potential in us to lead and to become positive agents of change in society. END Leader of the house
Deputy Leader of House:
Leader of the Opposition:
Deputy leader of the opposition:
Speaker in Parliament:
Deputy speaker 
|