KABUL): Members of the Youth-in-Action Forum, at their third annual conference, on Saturday blamed the government for ignoring them.
Participants of the conference also demanded a say in the decision-making process and the creation of an independent authority for coordination on issues facing the youth.
Slamming the authorities for paying no attention to their welfare, Sara, one of the participants, urged the government to ensure youths’ involvement in Afghanistan and development.
Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Timor Shah Ishaqzai accepted the criticism as genuine, saying that resolving youths’ problems would need time.
“We have already worked on building their capacity and will try to resolve their problem,” he said. For instance, he added, the ministry paved the ground for 24,000 youngsters to get admissions to institutes of higher education last year.
This year, the ministry planned to enable 30,000 youth to get enrolled in private institutions, Ishaqzai said. In four provinces, centres for public awareness had been established and their number would double next year, he continued.
According to the ministry, the youth account for 67 percent of Afghanistan’s population. Of the eight million people below 25 years, more than four million are unemployed. Officials say 18 percent of Afghans are deprived of education.
Founded in 2007, the forum has been promoting awareness about public-interest issues, such as environment and education.
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