Africa-Press – Liberia. Chairman of the Youth Advisory Council stresses global participation, technology adoption and networking among the diaspora
MONROVIA –The Chairman of the Youth Advisory Council to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., Mandela Gbollie, has just returned from attending the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum in New York, where he emphasized the importance of increasing Liberian representation in international policies and stressed the need for Liberia to overcome its technological deficiency through artificial intelligence.
Following the April 14-16 forum, held on the theme “Innovate, Unite and Transform: Youth Shaping the Road to 2030,” Mr. Gbollie expressed that the forum was an important venue for developing world policies as well as giving young people a voice in the matter.
When commenting on his involvement in the forum this year, he observed that even though there was participation from Liberia’s government, the lack of independent Liberian youth delegates compared to their counterparts from Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa was notable.
According to Chairman Gbollie, this was due to the lack of awareness among Liberian youth of international engagements.
He added that most global forums had a nomination process, which many young Liberians were unaware of. “Leadership knows no boundaries,” he stressed.
In the course of the forum, Chairman of YAC, Mr. Gbollie and his team interacted with stakeholders and officials, among them diplomats in the Liberia Mission in the United States, urging more involvement of young people from Liberia in future international activities.
Mr. Gbollie further revealed that there were discussions about creating a Liberian youth group in the United States to enhance cooperation and foster developmental endeavors and various projects, including scholarship and community-based projects in Liberia.
Global agenda items under discussion during the ECOSOC forum include Sustainable Development Goal number 6 for clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, and industries, innovations, and infrastructure.
Chairman Gbollie commended the initiatives of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation and Liberia Electricity Corporation in resolving their water and energy problems, adding that while there have been some improvements, there are still many shortcomings.
According the Chairman of the Youth Advisory Council, one important lesson learned from the forum was the growing trend around the world on the adoption of AI.
He expressed fears that unless Africa, especially Liberia, quickly adopts the technology, it will lag behind. This is because there is low awareness about AI across Africa.
“However, the forum does not yield financial gain,” Chairman Gbollie said, adding, “This event is used as a policy-based platform where we share our ideas and engage strategically.” Chairman Gbollie further stated that a detailed report based on this forum will be submitted to the Office of the President as well as the Ministries of Youth & Sports and Education for policymaking to align with the international trends.
He encouraged Liberian youth to take up a proactive attitude and highlighted the importance of innovation, creativity, and problem solving.
As an important component of modern leadership, Chairman Gbollie said, “The world does not work on conventional means anymore.” Young people must think about what they can create, Chairman Gbollie emphasized.
Summarizing his trip, the Chairman of Youth Advisory Council stressed the importance of lobbying efforts, which can prevent the isolation of Liberia from international events and discussions. This way, more engagement, networking, and digital capacity building efforts are needed to shape Liberia’s future path.
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