Online Discourse on the African Youth Charter

Convinced that Africa’s greatest resource is its youthful population and that through their active and full participation; Africans can surmount the difficulties that lie ahead

(AYC, 2006:1)

The African Youth Charter, adopted in 2006, a rights-based framework, which guides the engagement and empowerment of Youths in Africa has spawned several action plans that guide its implementation; most recently the African Plan of Action on Youth Empowerment (APAYE 2019-2023). 39 African countries have ratified and adopted the African Youth Charter. The African Youth Charter does not only provide the Governments, Youth, Civil Society and International Partners with a continental framework, which underlines the rights, duties and freedom of Youth, it also paves the way for the development of national programs and strategic plans for Youth empowerment.

On October 29, 2020, AfriGrowth Foundation successfully convened the Maiden Edition of the Illuminate Africa Youth Conference with the theme- Instituting Pan-African Youth Engagement and Inclusion in Post COVID-19 Africa. This Virtual Conference explored the roles of African Youth CSOs in a post COVID 19 era, especially in the implementation of the African Youth Charter.

Based on the outcome of the Conference, AfriGrowth Foundation was emboldened to facilitate an intervention with a tripartite objective of enlightening more African Youths and creating a better publicity on the African Youth Charter via the print, broadcast, digital and social media; building the capacity of CSOs to effectively campaign for the ratification of the Charter and in the post ratification process, monitor the implementation of the Charter across the African states; and engage key stakeholders in government on the improved implementation of the African Youth Charter. As part of this noble intervention, the Foundation will on the International Youth Day August 12, 2021, coordinated the First Edition of the Online Discourse Series on the Implementation African Youth Charter.

The Online Discourse Series provided a virtual forum in which key resource persons and discussants shared their views and opinions on the African Youth Charter in respect to the roles of media in advocating for its implementation and very importantly Youth inclusion and engagement, as regards Article 11 of the Charter.