PNC on Youth

Interview with People’s National Convention organizer Emmanuel Wilson

The People's National Convention (PNC) is a party formed out of  the CPP, the first Ghanaian president's Kwame Nkrumah liberation party. The PNC has its origins in 1992, at the start of Ghana's fourth Republic. The party currently has two members of Parliament. Both of them are above 35, which is an age I stick to, when speaking about youth.

Yet, Mr. Wilson tells me, that the PNC is a young party. Young activists formed the party, in opposition of the military rule, fighting for democracy. Besides, he continues, the PNC has the youngest secretary general and 50% of the key organs of the party are occupied by youth, from the constituency to the national level.

There is no affirmative action in youth participation though. According to Mr Wilson, all party posts are open for contest, for both the young and the old. The culture in Ghana does not per se enhance the youth in politics, as there is a wide spread respect to elders. Besides this cultural phenomenon, the young often lack resources for their campaigns. Sometimes older politicians support the younger ones. I wonder though in those situations, whether the young supported politician actually makes the decisions by him or herself or whether they are partly an extension of their sponsor? 

Mr. Wilson informs me of the lively political debate that is going on in the country, through amongst others both the private and public media. Through the students union and the civil society organizations, the youth are contributing a lot to the political discourse, promoting a more tolerant society for one.  

The PNC believes that Ghana should have a youth policy (see my previous blog, in which I elaborated on its absence) and a commission which deals with broader social, economic and political participation of youth. Mr. Wilson adds that there were previous attempts to promote inclusion of youth in government, but that since the recent 2008 elections forming a youth policy has not yet received the amount of attention it deserves. For now, it will remain a challenge for political parties to keep their youth actively engaged. The PNC involves sports in keeping the engagement, which might be a good method. Perhaps I could join one of these events while I am here?