Let’s walk the talk of S2C

By Gabriel Ofori Appiah, Ghana YMCA

Fellow citizens

It is a new season and a new day has risen and a star has shone…

The movie ‘Night John’, based on a novel by Gary Paulsen, tells the story of citizen transformation. Paulsen wrote that “Words are freedom”. The movie recounts the triumphant story of a 12-year-old slave called Sarny whose job was to serve at the label. When Night John, the new slave, arrives he teaches Sarny to read and write - a crime punishable by death. Actually, the slaves were being cheated and misused by their white masters because they were illiterate and did not know their rights. Sarny’s transformation, with the help of Night John, helped the slaves realise that were subjects. The letters and words of Night John proved to be freedom for the slaves. From this movie, it is clear that we need to know our rights before we can be successfully transformed from subject to citizen and that words (education) play an important role in this.

It takes a new start to keep a clear eye towards life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature; what you are in His sight is what you are and nothing less. Then as Subject to Citizen, we must agree to voice out justice and freedom for the oppressed. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received. We leave behind fading symbols of honour and trappings of power. And you takeonly what you have given: a fully enriched life with honesty, love, sacrifice and courage. So let’s walk the talk of S2C.

Let us climb these rungs on the ladder of success:

• PREPARE PRAYERFULLY

• PROCEED POSTIVELY

• PURSUE PERSISTENTLY and justice will arise in our homes, societies, regions and a country as a whole.

As Ambassadors, I believe we will spark the brain that will change the world, thus causing something to start or develop suddenly.

The words of Steve Biko ring clear for us in our S2C journey. He was the founder of the Black Consciousness movement, an anti-apartheid activist and he died for freedom in his country… a brutal death in detention. He said:

“It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is, if you realise that the only vehicles for change are these people who have lost their personality. The first step therefore is to make the black man come to himself; to pump back life into his empty shell; to infuse him with pride and dignity, to remind him of his complicity in the crime of allowing himself to be misused and therefore letting evil reign supreme in the country of his birth.”

We are called for the Renaissance of Africa.

We are moving forward, we stand for the African Renaissance, S2C fire is burning, no shaking!

Taking my right position to change my YMCA

By Wamukoya John Baptister

Kenya YMCA has taken up the challenge of engaging young people to re-awaken their participation. This was proved when over 72 youth gathered for the inaugural youth convention at the National Camp from 3-6 Dec 2009 in Naivasha, Kenya.

Being the first of its kind, the concept ‘From Subject to Citizen’ come in handy as a way of enlightening this great future.

We used a similar methodology to that we did at the Youth Summit. Anthony and I took them through crises identification to come up with possible ways of countering these crises. The youth were really excited to realize that it is through advocacy and awareness, that they can claim their rightful space and use their voice and ability to help youth in this country.

Advocacy came out as the best approach, but for a start the youth agreed to create awareness at their respective branches. This was agreed after they watched the Kenya Burning documentary from the Summit.

After four days of a journey of discovery, the youth adopted this concept and unanimously agreed to keep the fire burning. Out of the 78 young people, 64 youth during the evaluation commented this approach was the only way to change the face of YMCA and Kenya. “I thought and always believed that we young people can not change this society but now I know and believe that it is me to change first,” said Diana of Nairobi branch.

 As a mean of commitment, young people selected 12 focal persons who will be the link people to various branches. They will monitor the Kenya progress, and we will also have branch and regional follow ups by the ambassadorship team.

And this is the way to move forward!

Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Fire

(In the photo above, Anthony is facilitating the advocacy session)

Resolutions… how are we moving forward?

By David Ngosa, Zambia YMCA

I wish to send my greetings to you all as we go towards Christmas and the new year 2010. We just have a month before we say goodbye to 2009. When I was thinking last night, I asked myself what I think I have achieved in the 11 months of this year. The answer was very difficult to find I can assure you, but am still hoping to find the answer soon.

Well, getting to my question now "S2C - IN WHICH DIRECTION?". Yes we all agreed at the Summit to be moving in a certain direction which, in principle, is forward! forward! But the question again is how we are moving forward? Is it face front or front face? I hope you understand this because myself I am grappling with it.  Many other issues like this, we find hard to understand and this is why I even failed to find the answer to my question last night.

My wish for S2C/Ambassadors

My greatest wish for the S2C is that we should reach a point where the community will recognise us as the weapon of Change from Subject to Citizen. I wish that the candle can burn brighter and brighter every day like a star. All over Africa and the world people are seeing us on the internet… listening to what we are saying about the young people in our different countries. I therefore believe that we have a lot of power through documenting our work and making sure that we are known for the good works we are doing. Indeed, some may not agree that we are doing great works for the movement and also the Kingdom of God - but yes, we are.

My dear brothers and sisters, time is now! Let us all choose to move forward and see transformation in the young people. I choose not to make standards for anyone, but I will be very happy if as we make plans and resolutions for the year 2010, we don't forget about the S2C. This is a new baby we have as the YMCA family and we need to show lots of love for it to grow even stronger. Think about which life you want to touch. Is it a street child, a suffering widow, a youth that is a victim of bad politics, an orphaned child or perhaps your own life?  

Oh my God!!! I have too much appetite for a society free of violence, HIV/AIDS and unemployment. This is my dream and our dream should be more powerful as Citizens and Ambassadors. I love my people and I know you do.

May our God that gave us the knowledge to move forward with S2C and bless us.

Amen!!!!

Message of reflection – Africa YMCA Youth Summit 2009

By Reginald Ffoulkes Crabbe, Africa Alliance Youth Committee Member

Fellow Citizens!

Let me take this opportunity on behalf of the Africa Alliance Youth Committee to congratulate you all for buying into this agenda dubbed “From Subject to Citizen”.

While we need to understand the past in order to diligently engage with the present and envision the future, we must not allow the diversionary tactic of reactionary people to condemn us to mere rhetoric and static or indeed retrogressive life. The commitment of ourselves to the agenda of finding a voice for a new generation of youth across ethnicity and religious creed of our continent and pursuing the amplification of that voice for the purpose of the Africa’s rebirth is already well established. It is evident by our interest, commitment and enthusiasm as indicated by our representation and participation during the summit in Ethiopia.

Brothers and sisters, I dare say, we are one further step in the march towards the glory ahead.  

We live and learn. We have a duty to educate ourselves to recognise and critically appreciate the roles we have and are playing. Our people especially, the young people must be made aware that they in fact carry their destinies in their own hands under the present ecological dispensation.

This transition ladies and gentlemen is only the beginning of a long and tedious journey and we must recognise it as such and prepare adequately for the battle to defend our hard-won status of citizenship. There are obstacles that will remind us constantly to dedicate and rededicate our energies time and time again until the total rebirth of our continent and countries is achieved.

Fellow citizens, I urge you all to take this agenda very seriously. The mission of seeing a new Africa with citizens is in our vision of empowering those we co-exist with for the African renaissance.

This is an immersion programme aimed at giving us the platform to understand the realities of real self and wishful self. Be reminded that, we will periodically assess the extent to which we have come in this struggle.

Change doesn't come cheaply. It comes with a price. What price are we paying to see the change we want to have?

As actors of change, we always need to be very conscious of our efforts to the course ahead. We need to be philosophical in our thinking and everything. We need to share in the same philosophy. Remember "I believe" in our CREED. When was the last time you reflected on it?

This is what we want to do for our communities, this is what we want to do for our countries, this is what we want to do for mother Africa.

Compatriots, let us join hands in our commitment to rebuild Africa. Let us determine to move past the issues that have bedeviled our commitment and practices as members, leaders and potential leaders of this our noble organisation. Let us move past the policies that crippled the progress of our association.

Let us boldly commit ourselves to the radical socio-economic and political transformation of the continent where there is justice, equity and the protection of the fundamental rights and minority rights of the citizenry.

We can do it.

We have the vision.

We have the will and commitment.

Once again, on behalf of the Africa YMCA Youth Committee and the YMCA fraternity in Africa I wish us all well and God’s blessings. May our Association grow from strength to strength even as it repositions itself for the African Renaissance.