OPEN INVITE TO AFRICAN YOUTHS PARLIAMENT

Introduction:
African culture has always been significantly different from other cultures; especially Western culture.
We have a special beliefs, behavior, way of dressing, arts, customs, food, values, methods of passing down information to the next generation, social setup and many more.

When African countries were colonized, they consciously and unconsciously absorbed the culture of their Colonial masters.
Most of them even thought their Colonial masters’ cultures were superior to theirs.
So, even though some African countries gained independence, they never truly became independent; they held on to their chains of inferiority, they kept viewing their own culture as ‘Not Good Enough’, they ascribe high glories to other cultures, and watch as their own culture gradually fades to oblivion.

This calls for reformation and a turnaround.

The following are the questions we will like to deal with:

1. Why do students have to dress up like westerners to school?
   Why can’t our uniform be a native attire?
2. Why do office workers have to dress up like westerners up to 4 times a week to work, and are only permitted to put on their native attire to work once a week (usually on Fridays)?
3. Our manners of greeting our elders are quietly fading away, and are being regarded as being “Old and Ancient”.
4. Why can’t school subjects be translated and taught in our native languages?
5. Why should our native language be considered an optional subject in schools?
6. Storytelling played a major role in passing down information, and in building a solid relationships between families.
   Why has it been replaced with television?
7. Our weddings are now more like their weddings, only a few people still do the traditional wedding.
   Why???
   The white wedding is not our culture, using rings is not our culture.
8. Name. We are adopting their names, and viewing them to be more fanciful, even though most of the names have no meaning to us. Some of those names have no meaning at all.
9. Why are people adopting the habit of teaching their children to speak foreign languages all the time, both in schools and at home?
10. Visiting our hometowns and villages is now becoming a thing of the past.

These points are just to name a few.

Title: African Culture vs Civilization (Westernization)

Westernization is becoming a cancer that must be cut out quickly before it destroys our culture.

Westernization is now being viewed as Civilization.

This needs to be reviewed and discussed urgently.

12. Our music. The originality of Africanism.

Rules of the African Youths Parliament

1. The Speaker is the highest authority in the House.
2. The Speaker is responsible for controlling the flow of House business and acts as a “referee” during debates.
3. A clerk must be present during each hearing for documentation.
4. Members must be recognized by the Speaker before addressing the House.
5. Discourteous remarks and languages are not permitted in the house.
6. Debates may be made uninterrupted for a period of 1 minute per member.
7. There are two sides to the debate –
   The Proposition and the Opposition.
8. Each side of the debate may have a leader each i.e –
   Leader of Proposition, and Leader of Opposition.
9. POI (Point of Opposition may be granted during the debate to promote engagement).
   POI may be indicated by chat or by raising a hand.
10. All members have a right to speak, and to obey the Speaker.