Angola

School Parliament

In 2009, Search for Common Ground (SFCG) began the school parliament initiative in order to work with youth in a strategic, appropriate, and sustainable manner. This project focuses on the creation of a new generation of young Angolan leaders. SFCG had previously worked with Angolan adolescents and youth facing problems of delinquency, and also with members of street gangs who were responsible for acts such as theft, smoking illegal substances, street violence, prostitution, and rape. To respond to the manipulation and frustration of youth, SFCG with IASED (Instituto Angola de Sistemas Electorais e Democracia) established the first school parliament, in order to attain the objective of creating a young generation of leaders.

With funding from the European Union Delegation in Luanda, SFCG continued the School Parliament project to empower Angola's youth. SFCG works with young Angolans from 50 secondary schools from 10 municipalities in Luanda province and 25 schools in Cabinda province in a series of interactive activities engaging them in civic education. The School Parliament provides opportunities for youth to debate current issues and make policy decisions, providing first-hand experience in the process of governing and responding to constituents. The concepts of democratic principles and constitutional processes specific to Angola are introduced and then combined with practical experience. The Parliament is linked with weekly radio programs, which highlight different project themes and share them with youth all across Angola.

The project aims to promote greater and more positive youth engagement in Angola's future, in response to the many young people who have grown up in Angola with little or no opportunity for civic participation. The parliamentary elections in 2008 were a good example of democracy and were among the first steps in a long transition to a democratic culture that is more open, participatory, and accountable.

How it Works

The students, who form the parliament deputies, meet monthly to debate current issues and make policy decisions, providing first-hand experience in the difficult process of governing and responding to constituent priorities. These two components are linked together through the weekly radio programme Baza Madie, which spotlights different emerging themes in the projects, sharing them with young people of diverse backgrounds across Luanda through the voices of their peers.

Student Deputies are elected by the schools they represent using the same rules and regulations of the National Assembly of Angola. The members of the parliament and the deputies are elected on a yearly basis, which corresponds with the school year. The parliament has a president elected by its peers. The school parliament president has a one year term, renewable only two times in a row, so as to instill the idea of succession. The deputies are organized in parliamentary thematic groups, called "commissions," which are responsible for submitting resolutions to the parliament for future vote. In the schools, the 5 deputies, who lead different commissions, discuss subjects and themes that have been decided in collaboration with SFCG and IASED. Together a resolution is drafted and circulated among all the deputies for input and feedback. When the draft is finalized, the deputies meet in a full session, called a "plenary session". During this session, the parliament can vote to accept or refuse the resolution presented by a commission. In the picture above we can see the president of the Women Commission presenting a resolution on how to assist sex workers and provide alternatives to the prostitution problem in Luanda.

Finally, when the resolution is adopted by a majority, following the rules of the Angola National Assembly, the resolution is passed. SFCG and its partner IASED then make contact with local authorities and when a meeting is granted, the members of the school parliaments, who presented and defended the resolution to their peers, meet with the local authorities for a sincere and open debate. In the photo to the right, we can see a Commission meeting with a Senior Police Officer for School Security. The commission presented the recommendation of the School Parliament for the challenge of School violence in Luanda. The police accepted the recommendation and have included it in a proposal that the police will present to the ministry of Interior at the National Level. The police also have mentioned its intention and will to collaborate with SFCG in other municipalities as well. SFCG will continue to bring students and government officials together, and is committed to engaging young people in the democratic development of their nation to ensure a future of increased government transparency and accountability.

Progress and Recognition

When SFCG surveyed the level of awareness among School Parliament participants, the students were unanimous in their belief that it is important to participate in the program in order to learn how to voice their opinions. Most students believe that School Parliament activities allow them to gain more knowledge about citizenship, participation and leadership.

Since the project started, SFCG has organized School Parliament preparatory meetings for students in five target schools, convened a school parliament forum, and held parliament commission sessions. SFCG is using its weekly radio programme Baza Madie to provide information on democracy, governance, and participation to a broader youth audience beyond the student participants in Luanda.

School Parliament students were featured during a live broadcast on TV Zimbo, the second biggest Angolan TV channel, viewed by million of people.

Visit from the National Children's Parliament from Guinea-Bissau

Search for Common Ground invited the National Children's Parliament (NCP) from Guinea-Bissau to Angola for an exchange experience with School Parliamentarians. During the visit, both groups met and discussed a variety of issues related to youth and shared ideas on the role of student government organizations like the School Parliament.

Among the various topics discussed were the implementation of the eleven commitments to children, which protect various children's rights such as the rights to a healthy life and physical and social security, the applicability of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the problem of child labor and street children. According to them, some of the biggest problems facing youth and children in Africa are the lack of education, poor health care, poverty, and the refusal of governments to protect the rights of children. Hussainatu Mendes, a member of the NCP, pointed out the inconsistency of governments on children's rights saying, "The African countries also signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but they are the ones that break it." One conclusion reached by a member of the group was that government support is essential in promoting children's rights, but that children and youth also need a voice in solving their own problems.

During their stay in Angola both groups visited various organizations that deal with children's issues, including the National Institute of Children, the United Nations Fund for Children and Childhood, the Angolan Institute of Electoral Systems and Democracy, the National Assembly, and the National Council Ministry of Children, Family, and Promotion of Women.

Laurindo Vipipili, President of the Angolan School Parliament, said the Guinean delegation gave them the idea to create a National Children's Parliament in Angola as well. Overall, representatives from both groups said they learned much from the experience and from what the other group had to share.

"It will be good to start informing children about issues of gender equality from a young age in order to end the idea that boys have more value than girls."
— Jonatas Hanque, Deputy of the NCP

SFCG Angola thanks the following donors for their support