For the first time the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Youth Parliament event was held at the provincial level, in the Morobe province from the 16-18th of August 2023.
The three days event saw 42 high school and tertiary school students from the Morobe Province participate in meaningful youth engagement, building skills in leadership, public speaking and increasing awareness on issues affecting Papua New Guinea.
The UNFPA’s youth leadership event, the Youth Parliament, aimed to see how student leaders understood the essence of what it means to be a leader in parliament, the election process involved, and simply how the PNG parliament works.
The event was facilitated by the United Nations Population Fund through the Spotlight Initiative had sessions on leadership led by PNG Tribal Foundation, with sessions on the election process led by Electoral Commission Office Morobe. UNDP’s anticorruption team led a virtual session on corruption. Final sessions included haus man and haus meri dialogues, with a General Assembly convening to model how decisions are debated and passed on the floor of parliament.
UNFPA Deputy Country Representative Dr Rena Dona, in opening the Student Parliament, reminded the 42 participants that leadership is not about having a title.
“Young people make up 60% of the country’s population which means that you are a powerful force and must be front and center when it comes to decision-making. That is why we have innovative events like this Student Parliament to build up your skills and to hear what you have to say,” said Dr Dona.
“You must also remember that you are here to inspire other young people just like you.”
A participant Abegail Dewa, who is a student from Wasu Secondary School in the Tawae-Siassi District of Morobe Province, expressed her thoughts about the event.
“I am the head girl of my school and I am thrilled to be part of this event. Now I understand what it takes to be a leader in parliament, what the process is like, and how decisions are made and passed down in Parliament. This event is very informative for me and the other students that are here. It was worth the journey for me and my school,” Ms Dewa said.
UNFPA acknowledged the support on the ground, especially from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of PNG in Morobe, who facilitated the conversations with the various schools to bring in the selected students to take part in this event.
“We are thankful for the support on the ground from the Lutheran Church, also, the Provincial Education Department and not forgetting our key implementing partner, the National Youth Development Authority,” said Dr Dona.
UNFPA’s National Youth Parliament will be held later this year. Applications will be open soon and be announced on UNFPA Papua New Guinea’s website and Facebook Page.
