- Forum draws importance of decolonizing education
SULULTA– Ethiopia stands firm to adopt a robust education system as it is an indispensable tool for breaking the cycle of poverty, building resilient communities and shaping a better future, the Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA) Minister said.
The Minister Ergogie Tesfaye (PhD) made the above remark yesterday at the conclusion of an African youth colloquium that the MoWSA organized in collaboration with the Pan-African Youth for the past three days.
Speaking at the occasion, Ergogie stated that Pan-Africanism is a tool to mobilize the spirit of all African narratives and youth by developing the roadmap of a future that honors the resilience, originality, and aspirations of the continent.
“Contextualizing the transformative journey through adopting a robust education system serves as a gateway to opportunity, equality, and progress of the entire people. Education is not merely about imparting knowledge but also it is all about unlocking potential, nurturing talent, and fostering innovation.”
She added, “This colloquium, which is organized on the sidelines of the Heads of State Assembly, would also be a testament to our collective determination to empower the current and the next generation of leaders, innovators, and change-makers.”
According to the minister, the event also serves as a container of innovation, dialogue, and solidarity, where the voices of African youth resonate with passion and purpose that help create the continent its people wish for.
Fostering a culture of engagement, dialogue, and collaboration, amongst youth could harness their transformative power as catalysts for change and realize the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, Ergogie emphasized.
The Ethiopian Youth Council Vice President YesufMahamad said that the event is a call to action to build an education system that unlocks opportunity, fosters equality and drives progress for the entire people in the continent.
The path to transformation demands contextually relevant education as transformation cannot take root without unity, solidarity and collaboration and it is crucial to translate the spirit of Pan-Africanism.
Yesuf also emphasized a shift in mindsets, not just systems; cultivating generations equipped to not only navigate the 21st century, but to shape its contours with African ingenuity and purpose.
For Pan-African Youth Union President MoumouniDialla, it is high time for Africans to decolonize the education system to put the continent in a prosperity track with women, children and youth.
“We Africans need to have to drive our own education system that is copied from elsewhere that puts in value its culture,” he noted, urging the youth not to engage in any conflict rather preserve peace for development and push the initiative to other respective countries.”
The event was held for the last three consecutive days under the theme: “Educate for an African fit for the 21st Century: Building a resilient education system for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa.”
BY ASHENAFI ANIMUT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2024
