Youth form a majority among potential voters in Kenya’s upcoming election, writes Brian Dan Migowe, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kenya, but have a reputation for not voting. Here, he looks at possible reasons and repercussions related to the missed opportunity. So why don’t young people vote? There are plenty of millennials who are completely oblivious about …

“Voting is the pathway to political rights” Read More »

Kenya is heading to general elections in August of this year, but Eric Omwanda, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Nairobi in Kenya, argues there is little for citizens to celebrate if an electioneering period is still bound to traditional lines. He suggests empowerment strategies for change. It has been a tradition for the electorate of Kenya …

“Strategies for electioneering year in Kenya” Read More »

Oluwasegun Olakoyenikan, 22, a Correspondent from Benin City, Nigeria, makes the case for an open state budgeting system, arguing that it will improve the level of transparency and accountability in governance. A budget is considered open if citizens have access to budget documents and a high level of involvement in the budgetary process. Corruption in many …

“Calling for a transparent budget process” Read More »

Youth are in the minority among candidates for influential elected posts. Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Ghana, interviews a young candidate to learn about his philosophy and his encouragement for youth engagement in politics. In January 2017, my attention was brought to a Facebook post written by one of my university friends. …

“No dream is impossible: aspiring politician” Read More »

A shocking experience led Shannay Williams, 19, a Commonwealth Correspondent from St. Thomas in Jamaica, to think about social problems from the viewpoint of those most affected – and to consider who is responsible for the solutions. It was sometime after 5:00 pm. I remember leaving the University of West Indies Mona in a taxi …

“Looking at society as a mirror image” Read More »

The search for leadership is a constant of the political world. Staphon Simon, 22, a Correspondent from St. Lucia, examines some of the qualities and challenges that factor in that search. The concept of the ideal politician has been argued vehemently by the ancient, post classical and modern-era western philosophers and, by extension, contemporary Afro-Caribbean intellectuals. …

“Searching for the ideal politician” Read More »

The public is taught to look to government for answers, but Ope Adetayo, 19, a Correspondent from Lagos, Nigeria, argues that from an early age the public has not been taught to consider its own responsibilities.  Society feeds a child the information that the beginning and the end of the myriad problems beleaguering Nigerian society …

“The problem child has a problem with choices” Read More »

At this point in the 21st century, the right to vote as a fundamental cornerstone of democracy appears to be beyond debate, writes Brian Dan Migowe, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kenya. However, those with disabilities may face obstacles in casting a ballot. For many persons with psycho-social and physical disabilities, the right to vote remains …

“Voting rights for those with disabilities” Read More »