Paynesville – More than one Hundred young leaders in politics and civil society from across Africa are converging in Monrovia to attend this year’s cohort of the Young Political Leadership School Africa which will run from November 21-25, 2022.
During the event, participants will learn, share, collaborate, network, and dialogue on improving their skills in political leadership, electoral administration, and democratic governance.
YPLS Africa is Africa’s leading political leadership school grooming young people for a transformed Africa, and it’s a flagship program of Naymote Partners for Democratic Development.
The institution believes young people have the numbers that should be mobilized with the best amongst them to win elected offices, bringing youth exuberance, new political thinking, and most significantly good governance tenets.
USAID – Liberia Mission’s Director Mr. Jim Wight will serve as keynote speaker at the official opening of the YPLS Africa 9 Cohort, while the head of Election Division at ECOWAS Francis Gabriel Oke from Abuja, Nigeria, will serve as a lead facilitator during the period of this cohort.
The Young Political Leadership School Africa is a one-week Professional Development Training to enhance participants’ skills in planning, organizing, and implementing political campaign events, electoral management, strengthening their leadership, communication, and networking skills, etc.
After the one-week training participants undertake three-month civic engagement events in their respective countries and host policy debates and town hall meetings to enhance political accountability, and integrity and improve electoral outcomes, a release from Naymote said.
Since the creation of YPLS Africa, 730 youth leaders have benefitted from the program and many are playing leadership in their respective countries.
This year’s cohort is held under the Theme: “Galvanizing young leaders with integrity and character to defend democracy and inclusive governance in Africa.”
Naymote Partners for Democratic Development created in 2001 is a good governance and research institution working to advance democracy, rule of law, and democratic governance in Liberia and the region.
The institution believes that a purposeful and effective civil society is needed to set the national policy agenda, stimulate sound and healthy grassroots responses to governance issues, and influence the uneven power dynamics that characterize the relationship between Liberia’s citizens and government.