Johannesburg, Saturday 14 September 2013 – Young people from around Gauteng gathered in Meyerton on Saturday 14 August, under the theme of active citizenship and social cohesion. The initiative is part of a series of events, co-hosted by Brand South Africa and the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, aimed at encouraging active citizenship.
This Play Your Part – National Development Plan (NDP) outreach programme was the third in a series of programmes, aimed at empowering the youth and gaining insight into the role that young people can play, in implementing the NDP. Delivering the keynote address, Nalini Naicker from the Gauteng Planning Commission encouraged young people to become actively involved in realising the objectives set out in the plan, which speaks to Vision 2030.
“The youth of today are our future leaders and essentially they are the custodians of the plans that we write. They need to own it and they need to run with it. The people who have conceived the plans for the future, have some of the vision that is desired to build the type of future that we want for this country. But it is only through concerted effort and action by the youth of today that those plans can be fully realised,” said Ms Naicker.
Speaking about youth empowerment, Brand South Africa’s Leo Makgamathe said, “We talked to them about the importance of them shaping their future today, and not waiting for tomorrow, because tomorrow brings its own challenges. So we really encourage them. Everyone talks about how young people are tomorrow’s future leaders, and I’m arguing that they’re already leaders today.”
Award participants, gathered at a school in Meyerton in Gauteng, played their part by refurbishing 150 school desks. Upon completion, these desks will be given to Meyerton High School. During the outreach programme participants also shared best practice models of community service within their Award Units.
Operations Director of the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, Janine Hansen, said, “As a joint project, the young people renovated desks for an under-resourced local school. They also spoke about the National Development Plan and came up with ideas on how to promote service among their peers.”
Note to Editors
Over the past two weekends similar Dialogue & Action Workshops were held in East London in the Eastern Cape, during which Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel interacted with participants via video link-up, and in Cape Town where Dr Laurine Platzky from the Provincial Government of the Western Cape engaged with youth, about the National Development Plan.
About Brand South Africa
Brand South Africa is the official marketing agency of South Africa, with a mandate to build the country’s brand reputation, in order to improve its global competitiveness. Its aim is also to build pride and patriotism among South Africans, in order to contribute to social cohesion and nation brand ambassadorship.
About The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment
The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment celebrates 30 years of effective and sustained youth development in South Africa in 2013. There are currently over 15,000 active participants drawn from schools (both state and independent), community youth groups, residential youth facilities and correctional centres nationally. The aim of the Award Programme is to provide a holistic framework for purposeful self-development of young people between the ages of 14 and 24. The President’s Award is affiliated with the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and the Patron-in-Chief is President Jacob Zuma.
Further resources from Brand South Africa
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For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:
Nadia Samie-Jacobs
Public Relations Domestic: Brand South Africa
Tel: +27 11 712 5007 Mobile: +27 (0)72 777 9399
Email: nadias@brandsouthafrica.com
Visit brandsouthafrica.com
Janine Hansen
Operations Director: The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment
Tel: +27 46 622 7273 Mobile: +27 (0)84 517 0363
Email: jh@presidentsaward.co.za
Visit: www.presidentsaward.co.za
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