Nominations to serve on the Knysna Municipal Youth Council is now open. The municipality’s Youth Desk is excited to announce the nomination process for the election of new members to the Youth Council.
All Greater Knysna youth between the ages 14 – 35 are invited to participate in the nomination and election process. Nomination forms are available at all Youth Centres and must be submitted on or before close of business on Tuesday, 27 February.
Knysna Executive Mayor, Eleanore Bouw-Spies said, “Knysna Municipality is passionate about youth development. We are proud of the work that has been accomplished by the current Youth Council. In partnership with our Youth Desk, they have accomplished many successful projects. These include, talent search, driver’s license programme, ward based entrepreneurial and sport development projects.
“The new Youth Council will continue with the vision of mobilising the youth of Knysna to act as change agents for active citizenship, meaningful community participating, entrepreneurship and the improvement of their own lives and the lives of those around them”, said Bouw-Spies.
The aims of the Youth Council are as follows:
to give the youth of Knysna a voice concerning civil matters;
to promote leadership qualities – as well as a healthy interest in municipal, civil, administrative and community matters – with our youth;
to organise projects (in line with the aims of the council) to the benefit of the community and especially the youth; and to promote better relationships between different language groups while fostering mutual understanding and appreciation amongst the youth in the surrounding areas.
Bouw-Spies called on all Greater Knysna youth to nominate people in their communities that they feel can represent their needs. She explained, the criteria as follows:
nominees must reside in a ward within the boundaries of Knysna Municipality.
nominees must be between 14 and 35 years of age.
nominees must be nominated by 20 youths within the ward on the prescribed nomination form.
nominees must have a clean criminal record for the past five years with no pending cases.