Young People and the Search for Inclusion and Political Participation in Guinea

Guinean youth, who constitute more than half of the country’s population, argue that for decades they have been infantilized and marginalized by elders and political elites. They contend this infantilization and marginalization has led to mistrust, as well as constant confrontation. Such confrontation involved elders and political elites, on the one hand, and youth, on the other hand. Some of those encounters lead to loss of lives. While in 2010 the new democratic dispensation ushered in hope and promises of change, it appears that very little has been achieved. There is the perception among the youth that the government is, in fact, entrenching the prevailing status quo. This article critically analyzes the voices and expressions of Guinea’s youth in their search for inclusion and participation in leadership, as well as the decision-making processes in their country. It also juxtaposes the views of youth against those of elders and political elites. Overall, it seems that the existing mistrust, fear, and doubt on the part of the youth may have negative implications for Guinea’s nascent democracy.