A festival of the youth, a festival of ideas
16 Dec 2010
The exchange of ideas, building friendships between young people from around the world and mixing ideological disparities under one roof. These are some of the reasons the 17th World Festival of Youth (WFDY) and students has been convened; and these are some of the issues that have seen a glaring absence in the media.
Reading through newspapers, the web and listening to the radio gives a clear indication that the majority of local journalists who found their way to the conference did not attend any sessions, and chose to focus on the goings-on out in the peripheries and what they term as ‘kissing games'.
The convener of the Festival and President of WFDY, Tiago Vieira, had to go so far as to challenge the media to attend the sessions being conducted in the festival.
With this event South Africa has once again been afforded the opportunity to build relations amongst the young people of the world. The relationships will certainly affect future international relations and change current socio and geo politics.
How heart warming and fulfilling to the ideals of former president Nelson Mandela that in this festival sessions are occurring wherein the speaker is an American woman and the interpretation is being done by a young Cuban woman. In this room the topic under discussion is the Latin American Revolutionary Che Guevara? Isn't this an indication of reconciliation? Is this not the beacon of light we've shown to the rest of the world and given as an example - that conversation rather than conflict can solve problems?
We hope that, in some small measure, our efforts also help in finding a solution to the problems of Western Sahara and the Sahawira people as the young people of Morocco and Western Sahara are present and through conversation; an opportunity for reconciliation is being afforded - if not now; then in the future. We believe the respect and implementation of the right of self-determination of Western Sahara will ensure peace, stability and development for both the peoples of Morocco and Western Sahara.
The same applies to the Zimbabweans and Britons in attendance.
A session on the equality of women and men was graced by a speaker from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and illuminating on the initiatives taken by their leader Kim Jong-il to further the development of young women revolutionaries in their country.
We in South Africa have held this ideal since the advent of democracy, an ideal espoused by almost all our people and reflected in almost all our provincial legislatures. The ideas exchanged in that session, for example, will continue to add invaluable knowledge and further expand minds of our young people as they grapple with the contrasts of what is a patriarchal society within a national imperative of equality in a society.
The festival has never claimed to be the exclusive enclave of young people who share the same ideas, but one that strives to gather young people of the world and expose them to topics that challenge their world-view. An event of such diversity will in its nature attract differences of opinions that, in some instances, will bring out the militancy in young people.
The world has seen the effect that a united youth can have on future generations, a sentiment that resounded with the session held on the proposition that higher education should be free for all young people of the world. The 1976 generation not only affected the manner in which their education was assimilated and delivered, their actions also had a monumental effect on the future of South Africa - this Festival is sowing the seed amongst young revolutionaries to hopefully open the doors of higher education to more young people of the world. How resonating that this call came from the youth of the Cuban Revolution, championed by President Fidel Castro.
It might do us well to remember that the attainment of human dignity through the furtherance of proper education is one that some of our forefathers gave their lives for. We honour them by hosting a festival that aspires to the same ideals.
Media commentators have also been calling for an audit of the festival, an issue that has received wide coverage amongst the media. I, and the National Youth Development Agency. (NYDA) have always maintained that a full report of the festival, including accounting for expenditure, will be compiled. The NYDA is a public entity and has to be audited as a matter of law and these are matters of public record and Parliamentary scrutiny - a fact known to bothCongress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the media. I am at a loss to as to why the media and Cosatu would want to focus on this procedural certainty and fail to point out that we received a clean audit last financial year.
I challenge Cosatu in particular to tell us whether they sent a delegation to attend the session on unemployment and precariousness. Is this not an issue that pertains to workers within South Africa?
I challenge the media attend and report on the session titled "The manipulation of media and information". Or is this too close to home?
We urge the young people of South Africa to start debating the issues we have brought on the table.
Statement issued by the National Youth Development Agency, December 16 2010
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