Junior deputies and senators
The Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou, presides over the opening ceremony of the Reamorce training workshop for young parliamentarians, at the National Museum.
The National Anthem is taken up in chorus by the young parliamentarians.
A major innovation in this session of the Youth Parliament is the introduction of the Youth Senate. The theme of the session is "Youth and participation in local development to promote peace and social cohesion".
Cameroon Plan
These are the words of the Resident Representative of the international organization represented here.
We note from this message that the participation of young people in development is one of the fundamental rights of children and young people. It's a question of young people being ready to face up to the different challenges that may arise in their environment.
Today's REAMORCE of young parliamentarians is in line with the ambitions of the National Program for Civic Education through Moral, Civic and Entrepreneurial Rearmament (Pronec-reamorce), which is to enable every citizen to learn and/or relearn civility, civic-mindedness, and the fundamental values of integrity and living together within a plural, multi-ethnic and multicultural national community.
Opening speech
The speech by MOUNOUNA FOUTSOU, Minister of Youth and Civic Education, began with a word of thanks to the Heads of the two Houses of Parliament, who endorsed the initiative as part of their commitment to involving young people in the development of the nation. He also thanked the development partners. He goes on to say that this ceremony symbolizes the synergy of action between the government, Parliament and development partners. The aim of the two-day REAMORCE session is to develop the patriotic and civic spirit in these young parliamentarians, and to equip them for their role within their community as relay agents of good information to their fellow citizens", says Minister MOUNOUNA FOUTSOU. He went on to say that the aim was to encourage the voluntary commitment of young MPs and Senators to peace-building.
The major innovation for 2024 is the alignment of the Youth Parliament with the conformity of Our Parliament, notably with the creation of the Upper Youth Chamber.
The member of the Government is at the National Museum A welcome by The Honourable Joshua OSIH, Coordinator of the Parliamentary Youth Hope Network
📸 The Minister of Youth and Civic Education, MOUNOUNA FOUTSOU, presides over the proceedings.
The hope and future of the country rests on you! When you return home, your work as young parliamentarians will begin. That's why we're going to evaluate you until the end of your mandate.
This is the advice from the Honorable Joshua OSIH, Coordinator of the Réseau des Parlementaires Espérance Jeunesse to these young people. The 180 young deputies and 100 young senators gathered here must consider themselves privileged, and for this to be the case, they must be able to represent their peers by raising real, relevant issues that reflect their daily lives. It's important for you to know that REJE will be with you during your stay here, and even afterwards," says the Honorable Joshua OSIH.
"It's imperative that we young people make our voices heard and that we participate, because this country was built with us".
This is the call from Fadimatou IYAWA OUSMANOU, President of the National Executive Board of the CNJC, who sees participation as the duty par excellence of Cameroon's youth in the edification and construction of the stable and Prosperous Cameroon we all desire. In this invitation, she thanks the efforts of the public authorities and various development partners, who are taking into account the concerns of young people in various public policies.
Continuing her speech, she said that young people must show patriotism, tinged with a strong desire to live together by saying no to hate speech and other acts that do not honor them. She ended her speech with a standing ovation, thanking MINJEC and REJE for setting up a Youth Senate in Cameroon: "Dear peers, you are the Youth deputies and senators", he concluded.
UNFPA
For Noémie Dalmonte, Deputy Representative in Cameroon, the State of Cameroon is to be congratulated on this initiative "which gives young people an active role as builders of peace and contributes to improving the demographic dividend".
"Put young people first" is UNFPA's objective in implementing its missions in Cameroon, she says. She invites young people to take an interest in the organization's activities and to participate actively. In 2024 and beyond, UNFPA will continue to provide technical assistance to MINJEC in drawing up the national youth policy and implementing the Youth Agenda for Peace and Security," she concludes.
"To be a player in development, you have to be an exemplary citizen",
This is how the Member of the Government addresses the young parliamentarians, using the Pronec-reamorce scheme set up by the government to address the issues of incivism encountered in society. The aim is for each young person to demonstrate fighting spirit in every area. He goes on to say that each young parliamentarian is expected to produce an annual work plan that he or she will implement in his or her own environment, in order to become a "transformative force in our society".
And so he declares this workshop open
📸 7th Session of the 2024 Youth Parliament
📸 Context
As part of the events marking Youth Day, the Ministry of Youth and Civic Education has been organizing the Youth Parliament initiative since 2017, in partnership with the Réseau Parlementaire Esperance Jeunesse (REJE).
The aim of this initiative is to encourage the involvement of young people in the work of national construction, so that they can act as ambassadors within their respective communities, and guarantee that all regions are represented in the management of public affairs. In order to meet these two requirements, the Youth Parliament is made up of different categories of young Cameroonians.
To mark the 58th edition of the Fête de la Jeunesse (Youth Day), MINJEC conducted an operation from January 23 to 30, 2023, to select young people for the 7th session of the Youth Parliament. The session will take place from February 06 to 11 under the theme: Youth and participation in local development to promote peace and social cohesion.
📸 Objectives
The overall aim of this session is to promote youth involvement in local development, peace and social cohesion.
The specific objectives are as follows:
👉Boosting young parliamentarians;
👉Take guided tours of selected republican and historical institutions ;
👉Hold the session with the parliamentarians of the two chambers meeting in congress and the members of the Government, on February 09, 2024 ;
👉Participate in the February 11 parade on Boulevard du 20 mai.
The parliamentarians previously received training in Moral, Civic and Entrepreneurial Rearmament (REAMORCE) from 07 to 08 February 2024.
📸 Welcome address by the Senate's youngest member for the 3rd legislature
Senator Kotoko, the youngest senator in the Cameroon Senate, welcomed his younger brothers. Welcoming his young colleagues, he praised Cameroon's dynamic, hard-working and emerging youth.
📸 A word from the REJE Coordinator
Joshua OSIH, national coordinator of the Réseau des parlementaires "Espérance Jeunesse" (REJE), expressed the network's gratitude to the partners who helped make the initiative a success. With a view to making a contribution, he reaffirmed to the young parliamentarians that their ideas and proposals count. He therefore invited them to develop empathy, dialogue and a sense of consensus.
📸 Speech by the President of the French National Assembly
The Right Honourable, ETONG Hilarion in his capacity as Vice-President of the Lower House of Parliament, passed on the message of the Right Honourable CAVAYE YEGUIE Djibril to the young parliamentarians of this session. In this message, he emphasized the role of youth in building the Cameroonian nation.
He then reminded the young parliamentarians of some of the rules to be observed in parliamentary life. He went on to say that he was honored by the work carried out by the "Espérance Jeunesse" network of parliamentarians to promote the emancipation of young people and their participation in political life.
On the question of living conditions and social security, Minister Grégoire Owona recalled the measures put in place to ensure social security through the minimum wage and pleasant living conditions.
The Minister of Youth and Civic Education, MOUNOUNA FOUTSOU, in the presence of his fellow government members, is taking part in the 7th Session of the Youth 2024 Parliament at the Palais des Congrès in Yaoundé. This year's theme is: Youth and participation in local development to promote peace and social cohesion.
📸 Youth Parliament innovation
In a move to align itself with the architecture of the Cameroonian Parliament, MINJEC has set up a major innovation in the form of the Youth Senate, alongside the existing lower house. To this end, in addition to the one hundred and eighty (180) youth deputies, one hundred (100) senators have been selected, 70% of them from youth municipal councils and youth regional councils, and 30% appointed by MINJEC.
The selection phase took place nationwide from January 23 to 30, 2024. It consisted of a pre-selection phase carried out by local departmental Ad Hoc pre-selection committees, followed by a final selection phase carried out by the Ad Hoc committee coordinating and monitoring the selection process. The selection criteria were of several kinds. Applicants had to be aged between 15 and 35, have developed a project contributing to local development and the promotion of peace and harmonious coexistence, or be involved in an association serving the community that fosters national feeling, peace and civic-mindedness.
📸 Opening remarks for the plenary session
This session was chaired on behalf of the President of the National Assembly by the Vice-President, the Right Honourable ETONG Hilarion.
📸 Welcome address by the Young Member of the National Assembly for the 3rd legislature
In her speech, she welcomed the young deputies to the Cameroonian Parliament. She recommended patience and listening to their elders.
📸 A word from the representative of Plan International Cameroon
In her speech, she delivered the message of Mr. Mohamed BAH, country representative of Plan International Cameroon. She then underlined the commitment of the "Espérance Jeunesse" network of parliamentarians to the development of young people. As such, she placed this legislature under the sign of total success.
📸 MINJEC's speech
At the outset of his speech, the Minister of Youth and Civic Education, MOUNOUNA FOUTSOU, expressed his gratitude to the partners who had worked to make this session a success. He also urged young people to build respectful relationships with their fathers, the Members of Parliament.
📸 Message from the President of the CNJC
Fadimatou Iyawa Ousmanou spoke on behalf of Cameroon's youth. She expressed the youth's deep gratitude to the President of the Republic for his actions on their behalf. She also stressed the major role that young parliamentarians must play in defending and promoting young people's causes. As such, she urged them to learn from their fathers, Members of Parliament.
Due to their unavailability, the other questions were forwarded to the addressees.
🎙️ Closing
The Chairman of the session, ETONG Hilarion, Vice-President of the National Assembly, made the closing remarks, in which he invited the young parliamentarians to make this legislature an occasion and an opportunity to raise awareness and help other young people. Extrait du monde clôture 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
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