The Love Zambia Project

Informed debate is the lifeblood of democracies. It is however impossible to engage without the requisite information readily available and accessible. Political tensions, insecurity, threats of violence and crises within a country have a significant impact on access to information. The achievement of democratic governance goals requires that information be widely available. It is imperative that citizens receive timely information especially at a time when government is trying to achieve true economic diversification. Poor and vulnerable groups often lack information that is vital to their lives – information on basic rights and entitlements, public services, health, education, work opportunities, public expenditure budgets, etc. They also lack visibility and voice to enable them to define and influence policy priorities and access resources. Freedom of information and democracy have a mutual relationship. One cannot exist without the other. When governments are dominated b...

Zambia is a country whose population is significantly youthful; the youth population (aged between 15 to 34 years) stands at 4,582,433, representing 35% of the total populace of 13,092,666. Youths face a lot of challenges; from high levels of unemployment and underemployment to lack of influence in major decision making critical for national development. The large numbers of young people are an opportunity; an investment. Youth participation in development strengthens young people’s abilities to meet their own subsistence needs; prevents and reduces vulnerabilities to economic, political and socially unstable environments; promotes ownership and sustainability of interventions; and helps gain entry into larger communities and builds up trust and social capital. Effective youth participation is about creating opportunities for young people to be involved in influencing, shaping, designing and contributing to policy and the development of services and programmes. These opportunities a...

"Justice among the nations of mankind, and the uplifting of humanity, can be brought about only by those strong and daring men who with wisdom love peace, but who love righteousness more than peace."   Theodore Roosevelt