Uganda Youth Network has asked the youths in Northern Uganda not to resort to violence as a means to demanding what they think belongs to them or if they believe that there is a weakness in the provision of services to the youth at the local or national levels.

The appeal came from Mr Opoka Ronald the program officer for Uganda Youth Network while training over 30 local government youth councilors from the districts of Gulu, Pader, Lamwo, Nwoya, Agago, and Kitgum; on their roles and responsibilities in their respective district councils, which was held at Kakanyero Hotel in Gulu municipality.

Opoka observed that many elected youth councilors do not know their roles and responsibility as young people in Uganda and they tend to concentrate only on blasting district technocrats without knowing the procedures and due processes.

“Avoid being violent for demanding for your rights and accountability from other people because you need to know that accountability is a two way traffic-as a young person what have you done for your constituency,” Opoka told the youth leaders.

He advised the youth to abandon their different political ideologies when tackling matters affecting young people in the country but should adopt diplomacy and enhance their knowledge of the constitution since it is the constitutional steps that will bring about change for the youth.

Mr Anywar Mugisha, Gulu district youth councilor rejected the notion that youths resort to violence to demand for services.  He said that it is politicians that wrongly use the youth and then refuse to acknowledge their efforts and in doing so, take advantage by saying that “the youth are violent when it is the politicians that are greedy and unprincipled.”