Angolan Students Engage in School Parliament

Young Parliamentarians from Cabinda

Search for Common Ground created the School Parliament project to empower Angola’s future leaders.  With a series of interactive activities engaging youth in civic education, the project aims to promote greater and more positive youth engagement in determining Angola’s future.

One of the students gives a presentation to the local administrators.

The School Parliament is an opportunity for youth to debate current issues and make policy decisions, providing first-hand experience in the process of governing and responding to constituents. The Parliament is linked with  weekly radio programs, which highlight different emerging themes in the projects and share them diverse youth across Angola. SFCG works with young Angolans from 50 secondary schools in Luanda and Cabinda.

SFCG surveyed the level of awareness among students of school parliament activities and received a unanimous response that it is important to participate in school parliament as a means to voice their opinions. Most students believe that School Parliament activities allow them to gain more knowledge about citizenship, participation and leadership.

School Parliamentarians from Cabinda recently met with local administrators to learn more about municipal government and outreach.  The local public administrators discussed their governmental duties and answered questions about their roles. They also met with members of the municipality’s outreach staff to learn about the history of the city and how they drive tourism to the city.

The Municipal Administrator of Cabinda and the Chief of the Municipal Section of Health listen to student presentations.

These government figures presented on ongoing projects in the province and programs for improving tourism.  Additionally, the Municipal Administration provided radio equipment for the student participants as a way to support community radio programs.

City Manager and Head of the Cefato Matoco Council, Tando Fransisco, also met with the School Parliament participants to share information and give a history of Cabinda.

By bringing students together with government officials, the School Parliament project aims to foster the transformation of a peaceful future in Angola.  Engaging the youth in the progress of their nation is a sure way to achieve successful and lasting outcomes.