© Viktoria Von Knobloch/UN DPPA/PBSO | Youth in Wau volunteer in social activities identified jointly with the community, like cleaning the hospital courtyard.

The cultural perception of young people as inferior to elders in South Sudan has spread to the political landscape and resulted in systematic exclusion of the youth from active participation in national leadership issues, an advocate said.

Joakino Samuel Futu, the Chairperson of Algadrin Youth Association in Wau, said the government must fully include youth in the permanent constitution making process, adding that the current political system is not youth-friendly.

Mr. Joakino said the situation does not give the youth a space to participate in decision making and policy shaping and argues that the government is unaware of the consequences and impact on young people.

According to him, such downgrading policies are coupled with cultural norms that undermine youth participation in decision making by labeling them as inferior.

Mr. Joakino made the remarks ahead of the upcoming civic education on South Sudan’s constitution making process planned for December saying it should be made inclusion for young people in the country.

“This is a permanent construction process should talk on marginalization of young people. The political landscape itself is not youth friendly,” he said.

“It does not give space for young people to participate fully and actively. Even though there are young people in political parties and political institutions, they are always just at the margin.”

He said many policies adopted by government and other public institutions have always excluded the focus on young people.

“Most policies are made by people who are not young themselves. They’re always made by elders who always hold in mind that the cultural beliefs and cultural attitudes or norms, they always incorporate this into our laws and our policies. And these customs always don’t save our young people and look at young people as inferior.”

Mr. Joakino further urged the government to create a policy that would consider the economic rights of young people in the country.

He said the constitution should include young person’s rights for economic growth by eliminating the existing harsh laws that pushes youth out of the struggle for prosperity.

“The Constitution has to safeguard and protect the economic rights of young people. The livelihood of young people is always terrible. Young people in South Sudan hustle to eat, while young people in other nations hustle to add on what they already have.”

“People hustle to achieve their dreams, but for us in South Sudan, young people just hustle to eat. We want all these narratives to change. The economic landscape of South Sudan pushed young people out of the struggle.”

“We don’t have youth entrepreneurs, if they are there, they don’t get enough and they are not protected even being over taxed. Someone who gets a profit of 10,000 a month is taxed. While this 10,000 is not even enough for a week?”