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David Makora – Masters Student at University of Zimbabwe
“Every human being is a social and a political animal” meaning that they possess an innate desire to interact and socialize at all levels of life.
Expression of self became inevitable and inalienable birth-right for all.
Despite the natural endowments entrusted to every human being to interact and express, the history and reality of life downplay the natural right into a theoretical facade and disguise.
The youth phase has been characterized by depression, detachment, insulation, disinterest and lack of motivation to partake in the activities of life. Well crafted dreams and life objectives of childhood filled with magnificent ideas became shattered and impossible with the test of time.
The most striking and obvious question will be the underlying factors behind youth apathy.
This article however is not a fact finding assessment on the rationale behind youth apathy although attended partially but serves to construct a solution based design and model of governance that where youth participation prevails.
Indispensably youth participation is a gateway to intergenerational equity. While democracy has proved to be entangled with various challenges, a technocratic system of governance is an escape plan to reinvent youth to their natural state.
Democracy as a philosophical principle that upholds participatory ethics and structure, are weight matters requiring careful crafting necessitating the inputs of technocrats in democracy. Heavily applauded as a vehicle for mass participation real empowerment rest upon an informed generation.
Despite the popular notation of the current wave as the Information Age majority of youths remained uninformed thus becoming deformed. Real price of participation comes with an enlightened and civilized generation.
The flipside is a thorough examination of what role specialised knowledge ought to play in youth participation given that the society is so complex that solutions to its problems require multiple threads of expertise.
If the aim is to create a future most desired by the people there must be a paradigm shift from conscious belief based decision making to a value-based desicion making.
Democracy is not a clean theoretical concept when applied to reality but a process that evolved. In its morden sense it can be traceable to different facets associated with the social development of Europe. It is possible to see the link between the evolution of democracy and the secularization of Europe that took place in the 18th and 19th century. Democracy in its strict sense as a gateway for youth participation disqualifies the existing form of democracy because a) they are based on representation not direct participation b) the youths do not play a significant role in rowing the boat of decisions, c) constitutions limit the scope of governance within a specific social consensus and d) it merely respond to existing laws and regulations which do not necessarily nurture the environment conducive for the making of sound decisions.
In its pure form democracy becomes the impractable system for ensuring youth participation. An ancient case in point is that of the Athens where everday about five thousand men met at the main square to delibarate issues which include but not limited to war, peace, bugdet, the laws, kinds of punishment, property and life. Such a system can not allocate resources rationally as lacks the requisite expertise to do so.
A technocratic system embedded with a value-based democracy ought to be managed by people who appreciate that development is not merely concerned with the material well-being but also covers a broad sense of all forms of human progress. The Kenyan experience and Malaysia under Mahathir Mohammed provide an illustration of the indispensable role of experts in democracy
Technocracy as a concept is rule by the skill likening democracy to the Platonic meritocracy of the skilled not necessarily limited to hard science as assumed but every women and man equipped with specialized knowledge. Hence enlightened and civilization are the only keys to unlock the freedom of youths in chains of apathy.
Online Reporter