On Friday, May 5, 2023, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Mohamed Barre Mohamud, took part in a TwitterSpace discussion hosted by Somali Signal to provide more insight into the new National Youth Policy and other topics related to the Somali youth diaspora.
The policy seeks to address the needs and interests of young people, including creating job opportunities and tackling unemployment, engaging with the diaspora, promoting peace and security, and fighting against drugs and terrorism in the country.
Diaspora engagement is one crucial aspect of the new National Youth Policy. Somalia has a large diaspora community; the policy aims to engage with the diaspora and leverage their skills and expertise to promote the country’s development. The minister notes the importance of building trust and establishing partnerships with the diaspora to achieve this goal.
Somali youth make up a significant portion of Somalia’s population, and as such, their voices, needs, and interests must be heard and addressed. The Ministry of Youth and Sports recognizes this, which is why the ministry developed a new National Youth Policy that aims to empower and support young people in the country.
The new Somali National Youth Policy comes at a crucial time for the country. Somalia has a large youth population that plays a vital role in shaping the country’s future.
One of the critical issues that the new National Youth Policy aims to address is unemployment. Somalia has a high unemployment rate, and young people are disproportionately affected. Over 70% of Somali youth are unemployed, and the policy aims to change that by creating job opportunities through public-private partnerships and supporting entrepreneurship.
During the TwitterSpace discussion, the minister emphasized the role of education and vocational training in addressing youth unemployment and ensuring the country’s economic growth.
The policy is poised to create more opportunities for Somali youth and promote their socio-economic empowerment.
Peace and security are two other critical issues that the new National Youth Policy aims to address. Somalia has been plagued by conflict and violence for many years, and young people have been at the forefront of both perpetrating and suffering from it.
The policy seeks to promote peace through youth-led initiatives, including peace clubs and dialogues and provides opportunities for young people to engage in conflict resolution and peacebuilding activities.