Tongan Youth Focus On Employment Issues

Tongatapu Youth MPs...concerned about lack of employment opportunities.

For each of the last two years, the Tonga National Youth Congress (TYNC) has organised a Youth Parliament. These youth parliaments have become one of the most prestigious and demanding programmes for Tonga's youth. Designed as a respectful forum for young people to present, discuss and debate their ideas on contemporary issues that directly affect their lives, the youth parliaments have captured the interest of the Kingdom at large. The topic for 2003 was "Employment".

"Employment is the number one issue for youth in Tonga right now," said Kaufo'ou Kilioni, 2003 Youth Parliament delegate. "But we can't discuss employment without talking about another important issue: Unemployment." These words rang true for all those present at the Opening Ceremony for Tonga Youth Parliament 2003. According to the Health Behaviour and Lifestyle (Kingdom of Tonga) report conducted in conjunction with the UNICEF and WHO in 2001, 59% of the out of school youth surveyed in Tonga were unemployed, 48% of students thought they would never be employed, or that it was unlikely. When 55% of the Tongan population is under the age of 25, this is a demographic that needs urgent attention.

The Tonga National Youth Congress (TNYC) is the Kingdom's only youth-focused NGO, providing programming that seeks to give youth the skills they need for the future. Tonga's Youth Parliament is widely acknowledged to be the NGO's most respected and high profile activity for youth at large, but current programmes also include the Tonga National Volunteer Service, Future Farmers of Tonga, Pacific Stars Lifeskills and HIV/AIDs Education. A desire to create employment opportunities for youth is the common thread, and the focus of the 2003 Youth Parliament on employment attested to this.

President Drew Havea emphasised that the challenge for TNYC is to expand the definition of employment to include income-generating activities. "At TNYC, we are currently pursuing income-generating activities particularly in the arena of agriculture, small business and handicrafts. These pursuits allow youth to contribute to both their families and society, while also broadening their skill base."

This year's Youth Parliament ran from 25-26 November in Nuku'alofa. The top performers from preliminary workshops held in each of Tonga's five main island groups were selected to come to the capital city, and assume the roles of People's Representatives, Government Ministers, nobles and members of cabinet as well as Parliamentary support staff. Taking place in Parliament House, one of Tonga's most important and revered national buildings, the youth dressed in their finest ta'ovala and required parliamentary attire. Sitting in the chairs of their real parliamentary representatives and facing their Youth Speaker beneath the red and white Tongan national flag in the hallowed halls of the Parliament House is an experience none will ever forget.

The topic for debate was employment/income generating activities, training and work opportunities for youth. The dependence of Tonga's out-of-school youth on international aid was raised, as was the need to increase vocational training opportunities within Tonga. Youth delegates also discussed the importance of encouraging agriculture and traditional Tongan handicrafts, and the ability to access foreign markets. During the preliminary workshops, participants were exposed to a wide variety of guest speakers and representatives from government ministries, church groups and NGOs. This was followed by further discussions and research into both the issues raised and the parliamentary roles and protocols.

At the close of Youth parliament, youth parliamentarians had passed three recommendations which will be formally presented to the government. The most important of these recommended the creation of a separate ministry of youth. This would provide a more targeted focus to the issue facing youth, who constitute the majority of Tonga's population.

Tonga's culture demands that youth defer to all persons of a higher rank. Defer includes not speaking in front of an older or higher ranking person. In this way, Youth Parliament is ground-breaking.

Vava'u youth representative, ŒAisea Napa'a returned to his island group overwhelmed by the experience. "I see wider now. I never thought that as a boy from the bush, I would ever even step into the Parliament House, let alone sit in the place of a noble."

The emotional and formative impact of the Youth Parliament on the youth of Tonga is beyond question. What remains now is for employment problems facing young people to be taken seriously on every level of Tongan society. The youth of Tonga want to contribute to their families and to the community at large. The challenge now is for the Tongan Government and private sector to seize this energy and commitment.