Posts Tagged ‘vijana’
Water and Electricity
Sunday, April 29th, 2012Communication and Infrastructure
Sunday, April 29th, 2012First African urban youth assembly to be held in Abuja
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
Nairobi, 15 Jul 11
Young people from some 53 African countries are set to congregate in Abuja, Nigeria between 26-28 July 2011 for the first ever urban youth assembly on the continent.
The First African Urban Youth Assembly to be held at the Yar A’dua International Conference Center is scheduled to be officially opened by the Nigerian head of state Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and will be held under the theme ‘youth and prosperity in the city for sustainable urban development’.
Staging over three days, the gathering event will also be attended by UN-HABITAT Envoys.
The Habitat Agenda promotes a positive vision where everyone has access to adequate housing, a safe and healthy environment with basic services and which can manage mobility through better urban planning and provide better public services to avoid urban sprawl. Sixty per cent of people in African cities also live in slums and informal developments because of inappropriate or inadequate policies. This percentage is even higher in post-conflict countries.
Addressing urban issues offers opportunity to tackle wider development concerns such as unemployment, safety and security, social exclusion and the provision of basic services, gender inequality, climate change and the environment.
At the same time, this is an opportunity to learn from the young optimistic spirit and seemingly boundless energy, best practices and lessons from the local, national and global levels and to present a platform for recognizing the potential of youth and youth initiatives to advocate for youth concerns, achievements and solutions.
Of around 620 million economically active 15 to 24-year-olds, 81 million were unemployed at the end of 2009, the highest number since records began in 1991, according to the ILO. That puts the global youth unemployment rate at 13%, up from 11.9% just before the global downturn in 2007.
Unemployment can lead to idle young people engaging in crime and violence. This has a profound impact on human development and economic costs can be very high, particularly for developing countries. Africa’s rapidly growing cities need to be strategically guided for longer-term sustainability.
Source:UNHabitat
Police arrest 131 suspects after violence
Friday, July 8th, 2011The Citizen Bureau Chief
Mwanza. Police in Mwanza City have arrested 131 people in connection with the Tuesday riots by hawkers, that left one person dead and three others injured.
The Mwanza regional police commander, Mr Simon Sirro, told a news conference yesterday that preliminary investigations have revealed that the ammunition used during violent confrontations between the hawkers and law enforcers was that of shotguns normally owned by private individuals and city askaris.
“None of our officers fired a shot; and since victims were not shot by city askaris, our suspicion is that they must have been hit by bullets fired by private individuals who were determined to protect their properties from looters who were out to take advantage of the chaos and rob them,” said Mr Sirro.
The police chief explained that the law allows civilians to own the type of weapons that were used during the incident. These, weapons, he noted, are the same that are used by auxiliary police (militias) such as city askaris.
Mr Sirro had earlier blamed the incident on misunderstandings among the city council officials in areas which hawkers are allowed to go about their business.
Confirming the RPC’s charges, the Mwanza City mayor, Mr Josephat Manyerere (Chadema), told journalists that he was not informed by the City Council director that an operation to remove hawkers who cover a stretch of less than 30 metres was going to take place on Tuesday.
“This is contrary to standard practice and procedure. The director ought to inform my office of such operations, but he deliberately chose not to inform me or the area MP,” he said.
Elaborating further, Mr Manyerere claimed that there has been a deliberate effort by the city director’s office to undermine Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema). “That is something I have noted and have been monitoring for quite a while now,” he said. The visibly angered Manyerere told journalists at his office that his party would file complaints with the necessary authorities.
The Citizen, however, learnt that the office of the Municipal Director had informed the Regional Commissioner’s office, the Nyamagana District Commissioner as well as the Mwanza Regional Security Committee that the operation would take place.
At the same, Home Affairs Minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha flew into the city yesterday for what security sources described as “crisis talks”.
The sources told The Citizen the minister would hold talks with the regional security team before proceeding to Tarime and Rorya special police zone at the weekend.
Source:The Citizen
Youth for Change
Thursday, June 9th, 2011African Youth Charter
Monday, May 9th, 2011