Preface The National Youth Policy has been developed as a framework to provide common aspirations and priorities for youth development across Zimbabwe. Through the National Youth Policy, the Government declares the importance of the active involvement of young people in national development, demonstrating the distinctive and complementary roles of all Government Ministries, the Non-Government Sector and Youth Groups in youth development by providing a framework with common goals for development and promoting a spirit of co-operation and co-ordination. The Policy seeks to ensure that all young women and men are given meaningful opportunities to reach their full potential, both as individuals and as active participants in society. It addresses the major concerns and issues critical to young men and women and gives direction to youth programmes and services provided by government and non-government organisations. Zimbabwean society as a whole will benefit through the implementation of the National Youth Policy. By placing young people as central to all development initiatives, the National Youth Policy recognises and values young women and men as a key resource and national asset and highlights the importance of youth development to nation building and the creation of a democratic, productive and equitable society. Young women and men are not only a major national resource and inheritors of Zimbabwe’s future society, but they are also active contributors to the nature of society today. The National Youth Policy thus provides a foundation and mechanism for youth participation in socio-economic development whilst recognising that young people should be protagonists of their own development and not mere recipients of state support. It enables the Government to give priority to youth development and display its commitment to national youth development through the creation of appropriate policy implementation mechanisms and the allocation of sufficient resources. The Policy serves to sensitise Government institutions and civil society toward youth development and acknowledge the initiatives of young men and women. At provincial and local levels, the National Youth Policy will ensure that government authorities work in a cooperative and harmonious manner when designing and delivering programmes and services which address youth iv