The rise of a new Ghana - Master document

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO EMPOWERING GHANA’S YOUTH FOR A GENERATIONAL CHANGE OF GUARD

After half a century in the wilderness, during which a foundation for accelerated progressive development was laid, Ghana has arrived at the river’s edge in readiness to cross over into the land of promise. We are grateful to the Old Generation for bringing us to this point.

The time has however come for Ghana’s Youthful Generation to lead in the promotion an ambitious vision, engage in new 21st century politics and business, carve out a more strategic policy direction, inject new thinking and fresh ideas, apply revolutionary methods to take hold of the nation’s long overdue promise.

China, a nation that has gone through rapid transformation in recent times, recognized after exhaustive research, that it needed a younger generation of leaders who have youthful brain power, fresh creative ideas, high energy levels, and dynamic enthusiasm to change the status quo, as a powerful force to create an economic revolution and compete successfully in an ever-changing, dynamic, increasingly-complex, and highly-competitive global-spirited economy.

The reality of life is that as people grow older, their strengths, ideas, perspectives, world view, knowledge and even some experiences are far out- classed by the freshness, technology, speed and fluidity of the 21st century which requires highly-energized time- conscious input.

The new generation of leaders now in charge of the world’s most advanced and successful nations, are knowledgeable, competent, deep strategic thinkers and planners, highly analytical, performers, achievers, committed to solving the most difficult and complex problems, ambitious, creative, capable, self-motivated, inspirational and transformational. Ghana cannot be an exception and must follow this global trend.

The nation must now be established as one led by the young who are largely innovative, creative, highly industrious, productivity conscious, patriotic, dependable, efficient, revolutionary-minded, competitively new-thinking, actively quick-thinking, exhaustively-analytical, very pragmatic, solution and performance oriented, honest, credible, highly resourceful, sharp-shooting, bold, daring, highly-exposed, highly-responsible, prudent, highly-effective, extremely hard-working, time-conscious and time-bound, dynamic, pioneering, strategic- minded and globally-competitive.

A nation poised to transform itself into a fully 21st century one. We are operating on lost time, have catching up to do, and face tough competition from the advanced world.

The alarm bells are sounding in a wake-up call for all to play their God-given roles in the change process towards building the New Ghana

The contents of this manual are pointers to sharp focus areas that require the urgent attention of stakeholders of the various components of The New Ghana Youth Empowerment Program that seeks to prepare Ghana’s Youthful Generation to lead the nation’s 21stCentury Global-Spirited Development Agenda

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF YOUTH

• The greatest asset of the 21st century is young people

• Every nation goes through generational cycles and so does leadership

• The young must be the prime focus of every 21st century nation

• The young must get to decide where they want to go and what they want to do

• The young must be out there promoting change and 21st century development

• The future is for the educated young with the power to create change

CRITERIA FOR GHANA’S 21st YOUTH

As a nation, we have the crucial task of consciously raising a new generation to deliver revolutionary change and build the NEW GHANA. These “NATIONAL MIND SOLDIERS” should be :

• Mentally Restructured

• Purpose-Driven

• Knowledgeable & Competent

• Highly Skilled

• Ideals-Driven

• Highly Responsible

• Sharply Focused

• Alert, Highly Analytical & Active Thinking

• Highly Organized

• Highly Competitive

• Self-Motivated & Self-Helping

• Action-Oriented

• Result-Oriented

WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE NEED

• Quality and Relevant Education

• Relevant Skills

• Jobs (Especially Sustainable Employment & Mass Employment)

EDUCATION

• Education that trains the HEAD, HEART & HANDS

HEAD

• Scientific, Objective, Analytical, Logical, Comprehensive & Critical Thinking

• Strong Confident Mind

• Bridging the Gap between Development of the Intellect & Development of the Mind

• Quick Information Absorbing, Processing & 70% Information Retention

HEART

• Highly Progressive Character Formation

• Progressive Nation-Building Attitude

HANDS

• Timely, Accurate Delivery

• Results-Focused

• Achievements-Driven

OBJECTIVE OF RADICAL REFORM OF EDUCATION CURRICULA AND TEACHING METHODS

• To train the young to have an ENQUIRING MIND and DEMONSTRATE INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY. The “WHY” question in action

• To train the young “ HOW TO THINK”

• To train the young “HOW TO DO”

• To train the young to be “LOGICAL” in thought and action

• To train the young to understand, appreciate and be very sensitive to the NEEDS and CONDITIONS OF FELLOW CITIZENS that he or she makes it his or her PRIME ENDEAVOR to improve those conditions FOR THE GOOD OF ALL

• To train the young to be GROUP - ORIENTED, TEAM BUILDERS and TEAM PLAYERS

• To train the young to be SELF – GOVERNING

• To train the young to be driven by VALUES, IDEALS, PRINCIPLES and

PROFESSIONALISM

• To train the young to be CONCEPT DEVELOPERS

• To train the young to aim at the highest standards – EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS & EXCELLENCE

• To train the young to operate a daily life of CHALLENGING ONE’S SELF TO SURMOUNT CHALLENGES, SEE POSSIBILITIES and DEVELOP SOLUTIONS

• To train the young to be RELENTLESS, INSISTENT and DARING FIGHTERS with pivoting knowledge that THIS WORLD WILL NEVER GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DON’T FIGHT FOR

• To train the young to be FORWARD THINKING, STRATEGIC and REVOLUTIONARY MINDED

• To train the young to operate fully with his or her ANALYTIC and PLANNING CAPABILITIES

• To train the young to be TECHNOLOGY MINDED and DRIVEN

• To train the young to master the art of playing the SUCCESS game with a combination of KNOWLEDGE and COMPETENCE

• To train the young to manifest CAPABILITY

- Capability makes one envisage the future and take decisions that respond to the future

- Capability makes one think out of the box

- Capability makes one react timely and swiftly to change in a dynamic environment

• To train the young to bring to focus, the CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE OF TIME

in a FAST, COMPLEX and EVER-CHANGING world

• To train the young to be ENTREPRENEURIAL and to embrace the SUCCESSFUL PRIVATE ENTERPRISE CULTURE

• To train the young to use SCIENTIFIC and OBJECTIVE WAYS in doing things

• To train the young to be an IMPLEMENTOR, to be RESULT-DRIVEN, SUCCESS-ORIENTED and an ACHIEVER

• To train the young to APPLY HIMSELF OR HERSELF DILIGENTLY TO SERVICE

• To train the young to UNDERSTAND HIS OR HER FUNCTION IN PUBLIC SERVICE AS A CALL TO GREATER SELF-SACRIFICING SERVICE AND A PROUD LEGACY

• To train the young to PROMOTE THE CULTURE OF INCLUSIVENESS, DEBATING ISSUES IN AN ATMOSTPHERE OF CIVILITY, CROSS FERTILIZATION OF IDEAS, CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE, AND CONSENSUS BUILDING

• To train the young to possess MULTIPLE SURVIVAL SKILLS and CUTTING - EDGE NEGOTIATION SKILLS

• To train the young to be a TRANSFORMER

• To train the young to promote EMPOWERMENT

• To train the young to be HONEST, DEPENDABLE and HUMBLE

• To train the young to RECOGNIZE HIS OR HER ORIGINALITY and STAY ORIGINAL, an INITIATOR, a PIONEER, INVENTOR, and CREATOR. INNOVATION will create jobs for the future

• To train the young to feel a SENSE OF URGENCY and the BOLDNESS to CONFRONT THE MANY OBJECTIVE CHALLENGES THAT FACE THE NATION and CHALLENGE HIM OR HERSELF TO RELENTLESSLY PURSUE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE

• To train the young to be FLUID, VERSATILE and LIMITLESS

• To train the young to have a FULL UNDERSTANDING of the 21st century world, the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT and prepares him or her to COMPETE SUCCESSFULLY in it

• To train the young to be PURPOSE - DRIVEN. God created and deposited in each one of us a dream to be delivered to Ghana, Africa & the world

• To train the young to be a direct source of HOPE to the majority of the people within his or her sphere of influence

JOBS

• Higher Education Products : To feed Corporate Ghana, Telecommunications Sector, ICT Sector, Research Think Tanks, Business Management Groups & Creation of Enterprises

• Trades people : To feed Industry including Creation of their our Enterprises

• Semi-Skilled : On the Job Training including Creation of their own Enterprises

• Unskilled (Masses) : Group them into cooperatives to feed the Agricultural Sector including the Setting up of their own Farms

• Greater effort should be injected into creating MASS EMPLOYMENT targeted at putting the unskilled population especially in the rural communities to work whilst encouraging them to build themselves up through education, skills development and entrepreneurship

• On-the-Job training programs to absorb drop-outs between SSS and Tertiary Education whilst encouraging them to pursue academic learning through part-time study, correspondence courses, polytechnic and technical education, catering etc.

• Assist youth to organize themselves in groups for sub-contracts, marketing and other business opportunities

• An extra criteria for the award of government contracts in addition to Competence and Competitiveness should be “THE BIDDER THAT CREATES THE MOST JOBS”

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT

• The young in government should engage the young in communities

• Engagement should be in the line of : EXPLAIN GOVERNMENT POLICY, OPEN OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE, ENCOURAGE THEM TO STRUCTURE THEMSELVES INTO GROUPS TO ENGAGE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE, TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY BUSINESSES FOR EMPLOYMENT, AND TO CREATE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES

• Develop and pursue vigorously, a PRIORITY policy of CREATING “GHANA’S ONE MILLION NEW ENTREPRENEURS”

• DCE’ and MCE’s should market their districts aggressively so that businesses and jobs will be created

COMMUNITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS

is executed through well-structured, tailored entrepreneurship seminars in communities around the country. Each seminar would be executed in collaboration with or with the input of corporate entities or businesses within or near the community which could benefit directly from the trained youth to enhance their business interests.

On the other hand, the Member of Parliament of the constituency can organize the youth and take care of the cost of the seminar premises and the District Assembly or Central Government could absorb the cost of paying the resource person(s ) for the seminar

• YOUTH IN COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME: This program is aimed at using community networking and group warmth privileges to prepare the youth and to create and secure employment for them. The ultimate goal of this program is to get every community in this nation to guarantee it’s own security and that of the nation, by investing money, guidance, skills training, mentorship, time, hope, advice, using everyone’s network and all putting all it’s energy into the youth of their community to secure gainful employment.

Implementation of this program is by categorization of the youth based on their specific needs, creation of a youth in community database, youth group formation, creation of employment opportunities, identification of available employment opportunities and ensuring placement. Every working member of the community would be actively involved in it’s implementation.

is designed to debunk the stronghold in the minds of majority of our youth that one can only start business with big business capital. The seed in the hand could be the cash they spend on entertainment, clothes, and things they can do without.

It could even be an empty deep freezer in the house that can start an ice-block making business or a contact or relationship network they possess. It may well be a group that they can form to pull strengths together to start a fried or smoked fish, freshly squeezed orange juice, or hand-washed and hand-ironed laundry business. It might just be an idea to fill in existing business gaps that could be translated into commercially-viable ventures. Implementation of this program is through BRAIN-WASHING and FRESH BUSINESS IDEAS SEMINARS or HARD TALK on the electronic media. They must be taught to save and invest the money that comes into their hands.

• GHANA YOUTH PROGRAMME FOR ICT DEVELOPMENT: This program pivots on knowledge-based economic development within the context of Ghana’s ICT policy and should sharply focus on five areas : 1. Information Processing 2. Software Development 3.Website Development 4. ICT Technician 5. Business Sourcing through ICT (including collaboration, sourcing of agencies and representation of Chinese firms in Ghana onwww.alibaba.com and other international trade websites). On information processing, countries like Jamaica and Sri Lanka have created significant levels of employment through receiving loads of documents from the developed world in containers and used ICT to transform them into processed data.

In the area of software development, groups could be formed, trained and supervised to produce software by Ghanaian firms like Soft Tribe and supported by government to ensure their products are used in institutions government has control over. Government should also promote their products to the public and encourage the private sector to invest in them. It is imperative that Software development by youth be backed by a strong national campaign for all State institutions & the private sector to purchase them

• The young should be given contracts to develop websites for all districts to showcase what they have that the world can partner in developing through investment or purchase directly

• Redirect energies that the young use to convince the developed world to fall prey to their SAKAWA (Internet Fraud) traps into ICT country publicity & investment promotion centres

• YOUTH COMMUNITY RALLY: This is a new form of occasional non-partisan engagement with the youth on a late Sunday afternoon to do some mental re-orientation in them for a more progressive life. It is more of a knowledge-pumping and motivational exercise to raise a purposeful, responsible, solution-oriented, highly-organized, productivity-focused youth. Speaking at each rally would be a member of government, a second generation successful entrepreneur with a humble beginning, a religious leader, a progressive traditional ruler, a respected opinion leader, the district/municipal chief executive, the constituency member of parliament and the assemblyman.

• NEW GHANA CLUB : This club will be set up in schools and communities all over the nation by the youth to implement THE CHARLES SAM ACTION PLAN FOR THE RISE OF A NEW GHANA which focuses on raising a new Ghanaian citizen to build a 21st Century Ghana.

• NEW GHANA NATION : An interactive website should be developed to become the central point for youth development activity. This activity includes governance issues, knowledge acquisition, business development, networking and available opportunities. Ideas requiring financial or other forms of investment, employment opportunities and job seeking advertising and more will found on it as well.

RESEARCH THINK TANKS

• The government should partner with the private sector to constitute research think tanks with the young of the nation and encourage the private sector to do the same

IDEAS BANK

• One of the greatest threats to the advancement of the young in Ghana is the stealing & hijacking of their ideas by the powerful & by potential investors. This practice has stifled initiative, innovation & creativity in young people. In many cases, it has actually killed their spirits & discouraged them from venturing out again

• In addition to helping the young to PATENT their ideas, strengthening & enforcing existing PATENT LAWS, an IDEAS BANK will ensure a secure financial return to the originator of the idea. Government should initiate the establishment of an IDEAS BANK

ADOPTION & MENTORSHIP PROGRAMMES

• Government should promote the ADOPTION & MENTORSHIP of youth groupings by the PRIVATE SECTOR

NEW SECTORS FOR ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT & JOB CREATION

• The STATE should identify NEW STRATEGIC SECTORS FOR RAPID ACCELERATED GROWTH , ECONOMIC EXPANSION & JOB CREATION

• The CRITERIA for selection of these sectors are:

• The ABILITY TO GENERATE SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT

• The ABILITY TO USE AS MUCH AVAILABLE LOCAL RAW MATERIAL AS POSSIBLE

• The ABILITY TO USE AVAILABLE LOCAL TECHNOLOGY

• The ABILITY TO HAVE A MULTIPLIER EFFECT ON OTHER SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY

• The ABILITY TO GENERATE SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF FOREIGN CURRENCY

HUMAN RESOURCE EXPORT

• Health : The government would structure an INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTABLE accreditation & MONITORING framework for massive private sector investments & participation in the training of NURSES, HOSPITAL TECHNICIANS etc for export

• Government would negotiate with governments of developed countries that have need of health sector personnel to secure working agreements to absorb our trained products

• The State will take a percentage of their income which will go into a special

HEALTH DEVELOPMENT FUND

• Youth in Foreign Agriculture : This is a program that the Government of Ghana could implement based her good relations with the US Government, friendly countries in Europe, Israel and Australia. The Government of Ghana could negotiate a special arrangement for Ghanaian Youth to engage in paid work on commercial farms in those nations for a one or two year bonded period. If the paid work would be an issue, non-paid work would be fine, provided they are given a stipend that covers their up-keep, travel there and back to Ghana. If they are paid, the State could take a fixed percentage of that income for deposit in a fund for agricultural development.

The whole idea is to give them a feel and knowledge of the economic magnitude and importance of commercial agricultural activity to erase the accursed thinking that agricultural activity is degrading and not respected so that they will come back to pursue the broader horizon agro-industrial dream here in Ghana. The AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND will be used to secure commercial farming equipment for them to replicate what they have seen & learnt on the farms they worked on in the developed countries

• ICT : Government would negotiate with governments of developed countries to secure working agreements for our trained youth in ICT to work in that sector in those nations for a specified duration

• The State will take a percentage of their income which will go into a special ICT DEVELOPMENT FUND. This fund will be used to train more youth in ICT & to help set up ICT related businesses for them to replicate what they have seen & learnt in the developed countries they visited

• Worthy of note is the fact that in the 21st century, OUR PLAYING FIELD IS THE WORLD. IT IS GHANA’S STRATEGIC NATIONAL INTEREST AT PLAY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD

AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

• THE ONE PRODUCT TO CHINA PROJECT : The State must lead in the research & identification of a single agricultural product that we can export in unlimited quantities all year round to China for consumption by her huge population

• YOUTH AGRICULTURAL FARM CAMPS : This must be presented and thoroughly explained to Ghanaians as an exciting nation-preserving, crime-prevention, peace & security and nation-building project which should attract the willing participation of the youth across-board and investment of lands, finance, equipment, and various forms of support from Corporate Ghana, Traditional Authorities, Media, Families, Non-Governmental Organizations, International Friends and all Civil Society. Production would be for local consumption, industrial feed and export.

The concept should take the form of YOUTH FARM CAMPS in Europe, America and Israel where the youth are put in tents on large tracts of land with military personnel coming in to lead early morning physical training followed by actual agricultural activity. Volunteer or paid teachers can be sent over for early evening classes so the youth don’t feel that they are wasting away educationally.

Pastors and Imams would be sent in every Friday and Sunday to conduct service and prayers for Christians and Muslims respectively. There would be weekend visitations by Politicians, Religious Leaders, Traditional Rulers, Corporate Business Entities, Families, Media, Civil Society, Diplomats, International Friends and Entertainment Personalities to give the youth a strong sense of national importance and relevance. One product with a hot ready export market and a relatively short production cycle is chilies. There are other spices as well with huge money-raking markets. Ghana should research and come up with just one product that the Chinese and other South-East Asian markets require and can absorb.

That will be a money-sucking, job creation and business development conduit for Ghana. Lastly, the youth would appreciate life, benefits and potential in our rural areas thus creating a strong desire to pursue the much needed development centres around the country and not just the existing major cities. They would also have the opportunity of bonding and building strong networks for a constructive future.

SHITO EXPORT

• SHITO is unique to Ghana but has the potential to spice the world. Developing the SHITO product and a global market for it will create a golden opportunity for massive agricultural and industrial production with a multiplier effect on various economic sectors and players in the country

• Production of SHITO would mean massive production and drying of pepper, the production of onions and cooking oil. It would also mean the fishing and drying of anchovies and shrimps. Preservation packaging will crown it all in addition to transport, massive job creation and foreign exchange for the nation.

NATURAL COCOA POWDER EXPORT

• Anything indigenous that is discovered has several indigenous uses. Cocoa has very high global value with scientific research to support this position. Some local companies have researched and worked to prove the health benefits of cocoa for people with HYPERTENSION, IRREGULAR HEART BEAT, DIABETES, EXCESS WEIGHT, SERIOUS PAIN DURING MENSTRUATION and IRREGULAR MENSTRUAL CYCLE.

• NATURAL COCOA POWDER is a clear example of a GLOBAL BRAND that GHANA should present in a GLOBAL ARENA. What we should do as a nation is to FIGHT FOR A MARKET SHARE and PUSH IT ON ALL SHELVES AROUND THE GLOBE. The multiplier effects on various sectors and actors in our economy coupled with massive job creation and the flow of foreign exchange.

THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR

• The private sector should carve out a policy to deliberately absorb the young at various levels of their establishments

• The private sector should be encouraged to invest in young business groupings through State created incentive schemes

• The private sector should invest heavily in Polytechnics, Professional, Vocational and Skills Development Institutions to enjoy Tax Breaks and Big Time Societal Publicity

• The private sector should structure schemes for TAILORED ON-THE-JOB training

• A community re-investment program by the private sector should be vigorously pursued

• Invest in the quality upgrade of products of youthful origin to replace items imported or purchased from the older generation by the private sector

• The concept of NETWORK-MARKETING that creates thousands of entrepreneurs around a product line of a business establishment, must be developed into a Ghanaian business culture

• The private sector should partner resource people to organize seminars on entrepreneurship and other knowledge-acquisition programs

THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA

• The media should constructively partner with the young to become the vanguards of great change and to promote the NEW GHANA AGENDA

• The print media should SET ASIDE TWO FRIDAY’S in a month on which their lead stories compete for PURE NON-PARTISAN 21st CENTURY DEVELOPMENT ISSUES so the weekend discussions would be dominated by objective national advancement matters

THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

• Religious groups have the crowds already gathered at established locations and need to use their pulpits to push the change agenda forcefully

• They need to structure them in groups and secure the services of resource people to take them through entrepreneurship training

• They must be encouraged to structure themselves into business groupings to embark on joint projects

THE ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

• Educational Institutions should radically reform their CURRICULA and TEACHING METHODS to meet 21st Century requirements. SYLABUS should be tailor-suited to the direct career choice line of the student

• With increasing pressure on young parents to meet high work targets within a competitive market-place, the responsibility of meeting the needs of children, and the race to establish themselves on a pedestal of social respectability, the sacred responsibility of character formation in the process of structurally raising children, has been compromised and largely left to teachers. It is therefore imperative that TEACHER TRAINING and RENUMERATION takes into account this added responsibility

• In order that students develop practical problem solving skills, identified problems within the nation should be presented to them as case studies to solve

• The continuous assessment education module that operates a credit system should become an established order

• Cutting Edge Career Counseling Sessions must be a compulsory exercise at the earliest stages of a student’s life

• Interactive Forums should be created in schools for authorities in various disciplines to share their knowledge and experience with the students

THE ROLE OF PARENTS

• Parents should assist children discover themselves at the earliest stage in life

• Parents should avoid creating timidity and an inferiority complex in children

• Parents should assist children in discovering and developing their strengths

• Parents should instill discipline and very high moral and ethical values in children

• Parents should closely monitor the various development stages of children

• Parents should partner teachers in schools to develop children

THE ROLE OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

• The middle class which has modern day knowledge necessary for the nation’s revolutionary development should be vocal and active in pouring out this knowledge to arm the young with cutting-edge information and enhance our global competitiveness

• The middle class should interact with the grassroots young to share knowledge and information relevant to uprooting the deep-seated inferiority complex, building confidence and enhancing rapid transformation of their lives into the 21st Century development drive

• This can be done through formation of clubs and organized community interaction

THE ROLE OF WOMEN

• Women are braver in breaking away from the past because they are not tied to old connections

• Women do not have too much ties with the past

• Women have more flexibility to make the future better and more secure (men are egotistic and more entrenched)

• We must therefore promote the empowerment of women at all levels and push them into leadership roles to create our golden future

THE ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES

• POLITICAL PARTY GRASSROOTS TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME: This program entails categorizing political party youth, grassroots and foot soldiers into identifiable groups with specific career interests and areas of strength for knowledge and skills training.

After training, they would be supported in groups to develop enterprises that get contracts or sub-contracts from government or the private sector. They could also be positioned to support existing businesses, supported to develop on their own in the open market or supported to secure funding from banks. The focus of this program is to raise the level of partisans to translate their fire-brand energies into productive national life and redirect high expectations into personal development paths.

The second part of the program will focus on a BREAK from the OLD POLITICAL CULTURE into a MODERN DAY POLITICAL CULTURE. POLITICAL POWER should be a tool to PROMOTE GOOD GOVERNANCE, CREATE GOOD and EFFECTIVE POLICIES to TRANSFORM LIVES FOR THE BETTER. PARLIAMENT should be TRULY INDEPENDENT and a PLACE WHERE ALL INTERESTS ARE BROUGHT ONBOARD AND CONFLICTS RESOLVED

• Political parties should have institutional structures and programs to progressively raise the young to take over from the old in line with the ever-changing trend of global politics

THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH

• The young must understand that he or she was created by God, equipped with a package within him or her, released into and raised by a chosen family, strategically positioned to perform a specific role of delivering it within God’s plan of human development to Ghana, Africa and the World.

• He or she must fully understand that he or she is on this earth to fulfill his or her God-given PURPOSE and that he or she is THE SOLUTION to a specific need of Ghana, Africa and the World

• The young must take full charge of his or her LIFE and DESTINY

• The young should develop a sense of NATIONAL PRIDE

• The young must decide to get BETTER not BITTER

• They young must have a VISION of his or her LIFE on the earth

• The young must have a well-defined GOAL-SETTING program with clearly set time frames to ACHIEVE his or her VISION

• The young must put his or her THOUGHTS and IDEAS on paper, DEVELOP the IDEAS by TURNING THEM INTO SOLUTIONS

• The young must develop and possess a CONFIDENT MIND

• The young must have the AUDACITY to THINK BIG and ACT CORRESPONDINGLY (TAKE GIANT STEPS TO ACHIEVE WHAT HE or SHE IMAGINES)

• The young must be Result-Focused (ACHIEVER)

• The young must develop an UNYIELDING BELIEF IN THE CAN-DO SPIRIT

• The young must develop a HIGH SENSE OF DISCIPLINE and SELF-GOVERNMENT

• The young must STIMULATE HIMSELF OR HERSELF INTO SELF HELP and ACTION. MAKE A MOVE AS THOUGH HELP IS COMING FROM NOWHERE

• The young must live by the highest standards : EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS and EXCELLENCE

KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION

• The young must pursue ACADEMIC LEARNING

• The young must learn on the INTERNET, RADIO and TV

• The young must take CORRESPONDENCE COURSES (Distant Learning)

• The young must BROADEN his or her HORIZON to THINK GLOBALLY. The 21st century PLAYING FIELD is THE WORLD

• The young must read CONSTRUCTIVE MATERIAL

• The young must sharpen EXISTING SKILLS & develop NEW ONES

• The young must acquire BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• The young must connect with SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE to learn from them

• The young must constantly be in the company of CONSTRUCTIVE PEOPLE OR FRIENDS who CHALLENGE him or her to engage in CRITICAL THINKING & VALUE ADDITION to his or her life. Bad company corrupts good character

OTHER STRATEGIC ACTIONS THE YOUNG MUST TAKE

• The young must build STRONG NETWORKS

• The young must form GROUPINGS as a JOINT FORCE, TEAM & to be ONE ANOTHER'S KEEPER

• The young must be an ACTIVE THINKER

• The young must be CREATIVE and INNOVATIVE

• The young must TAKE AN INTEREST IN CURRENT AFFAIRS

• The young must develop NEW METHODS and NEW WAYS of ACHIEVING the BEST RESULTS

• The young must STICK his or her NECK OUT for his or her COMMUNITY, NATION and CONTINENT (Self-Sacrificing)

• The young must COOPERATE, COLLABORATE and SYNERGIZE with the young. Good relationships are KEY to LONG TERM SUCCESS

• The young must WORK with WHAT he or she HAS WITHIN him or her and in his or her HANDS and WHAT he or she CAN ADD VALUE TO within HIS or HER REACH. VALUE ADDITION IS THE NAME OF THE SUCCESS GAME

• The young must be ALERT, HUMBLE and PURSUE THE PATH OF RELENTLESS INSISTENCE ON ACHIEVING

• The young must STAY OFF ALCHOHOL, DRUGS, PORNOGRAPHY, SEX and CRIME. He or she must rather INVEST those energies and time into PRODUCTIVE VENTURES with LONG TERM BENEFITS for him or her and society at large

• The young must UNDERSTAND in CLEAR TERMS that THIS WORLD WILL NEVER GIVE YOU WHAT YOU DON’T FIGHT (WORK HARD and EFFECTIVELY) FOR; NEITHER IS THERE LEGITIMATE GAIN WITHOUT PAIN

Ghana’s competitiveness, success and overall development in the new- spirited global economy is a shared responsibility of the young and old. A genuine collective effort and constructive partnership with the young charting the course. However, as the closing chapter of the old generation’s active service and the rise of a new, organized, networked, highly-responsible and highly energized youth to take up the mantle of leadership to create a revolution very much in tune with progressive happenings in the advanced world of civilization and positive thinking.

A youth of purpose, conviction, integrity and responsibility, our generation must take full responsibility for its destiny, rise up to the responsibility, forge progressive partnerships at community, regional and national level in education & skills development, fighting crime, enterprise development, sanitation, agricultural production, industrial development, supporting community development projects, ICT, fighting the illicit drug trade, drugs abuse, and alcohol abuse.

The young must rise out of hopelessness, misery, a frustrated and defeatist life of alcohol, drugs, sex, bitterness and crime and be determined to create a better life for nation for ourselves. They must understand that there is a price to pay for any good thing in life, for as the saying goes, ‘there is no gain without pain’. Hope is each one of them and if God deemed it fit to position each one of them here in Ghana at this time of our history, there must be something special in everyone of them that God wants discovered, developed and delivered to the nation. The young are the new generation leaders with solutions to age-old challenges and Ghana can’t wait any longer to see their action.

To all the good People of Ghana, I conclude that after over half a century of nationhood under the direction of the ‘analogue’ (old) generation, the time is ripe for the young, creative and sharp-shooting ‘digital’ (new) generation to take over full responsibility for mapping out the nation’s future in a rapidly changing & increasingly complex global-spirited world.

The responsibility of ensuring adequate preparation of the next generation for a smooth take-over within the shortest period, is the collective God-given responsibility of every Ghanaian, be it government, politicians, parents, school authorities, religious bodies, corporate bodies, entrepreneurs, media, communities or traditional rulers. National focus must be on the young who have in them all we require as a nation for rapid accelerated globally-competitive economic growth & development.

Matters of the youth should be given centre- stage and have priority place in our national life. Guarantee the future security of yourself, your family, your community and the whole nation by investing quality time, hope, knowledge, good advice and a little money in a well-mannered or even troublesome young person who is not related to you in your neighborhood, community or at your work place. You could become a role-model to a young one or offer mentorship to a group of them.

History is replete with countless examples of beneficiaries of God’s abundant blessings for investing in humanity. Go out of your way to change the life of a young one. Be the rising sun that will warm up the dreams for our better tomorrow.

Final words go to Ghana’s Great Young Generation; You are the “CLICK GENERATION” that was purposed, designed and strategically positioned by God for today’s 21st century agenda. You should not focus on our past limitations and failures. Our energy should focus on the possibilities for the future. We are counting on you for our future. We are looking up to you for leadership. We know you are winning material and are very certain that God will bless the work of your hands.

DON’T FAIL THE NATION!

God Bless Ghana

Charles Sam

Golden Future Promotions

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