Leaders call for inclusive dialogue platforms to engage youth
MWANZA: FOLLOWING the recent unrest that occurred during the just-ended General Election in several parts of the country, leaders in Mwanza have called for the establishment of inclusive dialogue platforms to heal the nation.
They also called for the strengthening of national unity through open communications between the government and citizens.
The Deputy President of the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), Mr Bonface Ndengo, suggested that the government create special forums, whether physical meetings or online sessions, to provide a space for citizens, especially the youth, to express their views peacefully.
Mr Ndengo noted that young people are often the most active in protests, partly because they are among the groups that are least afraid to act.
He explained that since many youths are already organised in groups such as motorcycle (boda-boda) and tricycle operators, fishers, petty traders, miners, and college students, it would be easy for the government to reach them and listen to their concerns through their associations.
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Commenting on the proposal to make the 4Rs philosophy—Reconciliation, Resilience, Reforms, and Rebuilding, a national agenda for promoting peace and unity, Mwanza Regional Sheikh Hassan Kabeke said the initiative had already been introduced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan as part of her peace-building efforts.
“The 4Rs are already a national agenda initiated by the Head of State to maintain peace and strengthen communication between the government and its people,” Sheikh Kabeke said.
He said that what remains is to enhance public education and encourage citizens to make effective use of the philosophy as a peaceful means of resolving challenges.
“There is no need for protests. What we witnessed were not genuine protesters but vandalism, because they had no clear message to the government, neither through placards nor chants, as true demonstrators usually do,” he said.
Sheikh Kabeke reminded citizens that no government can fulfill everyone’s needs at once and urged Tanzanians to use the 4Rs framework to set priorities that benefit the broader community.
He also called on religious leaders to evaluate whether they are effectively promoting messages of peace among their congregations, noting that some still debate whether justice or peace should come first.
