To strengthen youth’s participation in the peace and political affairs, a one-day Mon Youth Seminar will be organized in Kawkareik Township, Karen State on September 29th.

“As an outcome from the seminar, we are expecting to obtain an agreement, a policy for Mon youth, as well as [plans] to foster youth involvement in politics or the peace affairs,” said Nai Nyan Seik Raman, an advisor of the Mon Youth Forum (MYF).

With the collaboration of the Mon Youth Forum (MYF), New Mon State Party (NMSP), and Mon Unity Party (MUP), the two-day seminar will take place in Wei Rate village in Kawkareik Township. Participants are looking forward policy discussions that seek their voices, advice, and insights.

A spokesperson of the Mon Youth Seminar, Mi Rot Sorn said “our main discussion [will be] regarding youth participation in politics. Also for the political sector, we have two parties such as NMSP and MUP. We will discuss how to promote [a greater] number of youth’s participation, and what will be the necessary skills and abilities [needed] for young people to cooperate with those parties.”

Mehm Htaw, a youth expressed concern that the goals of Mon youth are still undeveloped and no policy has yet to be articulated.

“Since there is such a policy for young people, they have to rely on themselves in serving the community, and their goals are still unclear. If a youth policy is developed, they will be [more] aware of how to encourage each other,” said Mehmet Htaw.

Since the 1st Mon Youth Conference [May 1st to 3rd, 2014] held at the 2500 Sasana Beikman Monastery in Mawlamyine that attracted the participation of 500 youth representatives from different regions including Tanintharyi, Bago, Yangon, Karen, and Mon, no youth policy has yet to have been drafted.

During the 3rd Mon Youth Seminar held in Wei Baung village, Ye Chaung Phaya region in the NMSP controlled-area in 2012, Mon youth from local and international organizations, the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Mon National Democratic Front (MNDF), and the All Mon Region Democracy Party (AMDP) actively participated. That meeting did generate eight agreements.