Joslord Elmilus Challenges Haiti’s Youth: “It Is Time to Take a Seat at the Political Table”
Joslord Elmilus Challenges Haiti’s Youth: “It Is Time to Take a Seat at the Political Table”
Should Haiti’s youth continue to be regarded merely as a force for mobilization, or should they finally become genuine actors in national decision-making? This is the challenge raised by Joslord Elmilus, a cultural promoter and artist manager, who is calling on young Haitians to move beyond the role of spectators and assert themselves in the spaces where the country’s future is being shaped.
“Youth participation in the country’s political life is more than an obligation; it is a necessity,” Elmilus wrote. His statement serves as a call for awareness and engagement from a generation that is often mobilized to take to the streets, support political campaigns, or participate in public demonstrations, but is too rarely invited when it comes time to negotiate and make decisions.
“Where Is the Youth Sector?”
Joslord Elmilus directly highlights what he considers a major contradiction in Haiti’s political debate. Whenever the country faces a major crisis, various sectors are invited to the negotiating table: the Vodou sector, the civil sector, the Protestant sector, and other components of Haitian society.
But he asks a simple yet significant question: “Where do we see the youth sector being mentioned?”
The question deserves serious consideration. While young people represent a fundamental component of Haiti’s population, their political representation remains limited within the mechanisms where compromises are negotiated and major national decisions are made.
For Joslord Elmilus, this situation should no longer be accepted as inevitable.
Youth Must Take the Political Initiative
The challenge, according to his message, is not merely to demand a symbolic place within existing structures. It is about building a genuine political force capable of defending proposals, participating in negotiations, and assuming responsibilities.
Young Haitians must therefore organize, develop a political vision, and enter decision-making spaces. They must be able to speak with a strong and unified voice on critical issues such as education, employment, professional training, entrepreneurship, culture, security, justice, governance, and economic development.
Being young should no longer mean simply waiting.
The emerging generation must learn to transform frustration into engagement, ideas into concrete projects, and its demographic strength into political influence.
No Longer the Future, but the Present
For decades, political leaders have repeated that “the youth are the future of the country.” But for Joslord Elmilus, this familiar expression is no longer enough.
Young people cannot constantly be referred to as tomorrow while the decisions that will determine their future are being made today.
They must therefore participate in Haiti’s political present, bringing their own ideas, demands, perspectives, and representatives to the table.
The call issued by the cultural promoter goes beyond a simple statement on social media. It raises a fundamental political question: Can Haiti truly claim to be building a new future without giving its youth a meaningful place in the country’s decision-making processes?
The answer now belongs to the young people themselves.
It is up to them to organize. It is up to them to mobilize. It is up to them to make their voices heard. Above all, it is up to them to demand that whenever decisions concerning Haiti’s future are being made, the youth are finally present at the table.
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