Dear Editor,
While much energy is being devoted in certain quarters to downplay the effort made to involve youths in the decision-making process by the PPP/C these folks fail to realize that it is the failure of the other political parties to think outside of the box that has often caused them to be responsive. One point of reference is the ‘Impress’ youth conference held by the PPP and the enormous response to it by youths.
This response brought on a new focus on ‘youth’ by the opposition, and at the same time their agents using the local dailies and every other available medium sought to disparage or downplay ‘Impress.’ One anti-Jagdeo critic attributed the huge turn-out to his claim of a $5000 stipend as though Guyana’s children are only responsive to bribes. In the meanwhile the AFC has responded by organizing a confabulation of their own.
However, the party through fliers it has distributed is using the promise of refreshments, as well as a chance to win several prizes including a computer, to entice young people to attend this event. This is further highlighted when one examines the prominence given to this aspect of the planned proceedings on the fliers I’ve seen. In fact it takes up third of the flier.
And it poses the direct question of why would a party which sells itself as having made significant inroads into Guyana’s political sphere have to resort to these kinds of tactics in order to attract young people.
The AFC’s flier promises that attendees will be addressed by two US based teens. This may sound good to the odd person but in my view there’s every possibility that these two teens might’ve lived most of their lives outside of Guyana and their knowledge of what transpires in this beautiful land of ours may be limited to hearsay. So what will their address to the audience be about?
When this is put against the attendance and interactions of the President and various government ministers who direct policy at the governmental level then it’s no wonder youths responded to ‘Impress’ by the thousands. And when we examine the proposed content of the AFC’s confabulation then it’s no wonder that party is forced to use refreshments and prizes as a means of enticing attendees.
Yours faithfully,
Louis Kilkenny
