The members of these “parliaments” have been in the field for weeks for awareness campaigns.
On the occasion of the celebration of the 60th edition of Youth Day, Cameroon highlights the essential role of young people and children in nation-building. This commemoration, beyond parades and cultural activities, recalls the importance of civic engagement and the participation of new generations in public life. It also offers an opportunity to clarify a distinction that is often misunderstood: that between young deputies and junior deputies.
Young deputies, aged 18 to 35, come from the Youth Parliament, created in 2017. They represent the interests of the youth in their localities and are involved in actions related to employability, entrepreneurship, social cohesion, and local development.
For several observers, this framework is above all a leadership school. “I think it’s a training step for these young people, to try to see how decisions are made in the major bodies. The added value is that each person, at the level of their department, their district, or their region of origin, deploys themselves,” emphasizes an actor in the system working in the Ministry of Youth.
The results seem encouraging: young deputies from the 3rd term have reached an important milestone. Five of them were elected senior deputies in the last legislative elections, particularly in the North and Adamaoua regions. This evolution illustrates the capacity of this pool to prepare a political succession.
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For their part, junior deputies, aged 9 to 17, sit in the Children’s Parliament. They represent children, whether schooled or not, and work to promote and defend their rights. Their work focuses on inclusive education, the protection of vulnerable children, and the fight against violence. Through awareness and advocacy activities, they are introduced to democratic mechanisms at a very early age.
Ultimately, while young deputies embody the commitment of young adults to participatory governance, junior deputies carry the voice of children. On this 60th Youth Day, these two bodies reflect Cameroon’s desire to prepare active citizenship from the earliest age.
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