Deadline: 10 March 2019
Youth organisations are invited to apply for 3rd Pan African Youth Conference which is co-organised by The Gambia National Youth Council and the AYC Secretariat in partnership with Government of The Gambia, UN System in The Gambia, Kanifing Municipal Council, The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Child Fund International The Gambia.
3rd Pan African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development and the Annual General Assembly Meeting of the African Youth Commission (AYC), taking place from 23-26 March 2019 in Banjul, The Gambia under the theme: ‘The Future Is Now; Youth are Not Too Young to Lead’.
The annual African Youth Conference on African Unity and Development is a multistakeholder youth-led and driven platform aims at building capacities and strengthening engagement of children and youth in the current policy and decision making processes at national, sub regional and continental levels.
Objectives
The overall objective of the conference is to:
- Create a youth-led open space for young people to interact, promote Pan Africanism and participate in the implementation of African Unity project.
- Inspire and encourage active youth leadership and participation in social, economic and political spheres at all levels.
- Dialogue and interact with policy makers to amplify youth voices in policy and decision making processes.
- Encourage youth-led action on curbing cross-border youth irregular migration and children on the move in Africa.
- Empower children and young women to make their voices heard in policy and decision making processes.
- Connect, build alliances and the capacity of youth to influence policies and practices of their National Governments, the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and other youth development actors on the African continent.
Thematic Focus
The discussion at the Conference will be centered on the following six (6) thematic areas aligned to the AYC Strategic Plan 2018-2020 and The Gambia Country Programme of Action on Youth:
- Pan Africanism and African Integration: Youth inclusion and participation in Africa’s integration using AU Agenda 2063 and UN 2030 SDGs as a spring board.
- Governance and Empowerment: Youth participation and leadership in Political, Civic and Economic developments at all levels.
- Irregular migration: Youth Cross-border Migration and Children on the Move.
- Silencing the Guns: Youth and Peace building.
- Health and Wellbeing: Reproductive Health and Rights, and Gender-based violence.
- Climate Change: Environmental Conservation and Governance.
Partner youth organisations and youth development actors will be invited to organise side event workshops in alignment with their programmatic area of interest and conference themes during the forum.
Expected Outcome:
By the end of the conference, it is anticipated that;
- Youth will be inspired to take ownership and drive the Africa’s development Agenda.
- Integration of youth-led initiative into national, sub-regional and continental development agendas will be promoted.
- Active participation of youth in socioeconomic advancement of the African continent will be improved.
- Youth political leadership and participation beyond the ballot box will be encouraged.
- Youth will be mobilized to take action on curbing irregular migration and children on the move in Africa.
- Safe spaces for youth participation in policy and decision making at all levels of society will be advocated.
- Participants will be familiarized with the African Youth Commission and its ways of working, in order to foster greater participation, networking and engagement with the Commission.
- Youth’s concerns/recommendations regarding their inclusion and participation in policy and decision-making at local, national, regional, and continental levels of governance will be brought to the attention of the national government, regional economic communities and the African Union in a form of outcome document
Format
The session will take the format of expert presentations, parallel side-event workshops (breakouts), and interactive plenary panel and roundtable discussions.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Conference aims to bring together around 300 participants from youth organisations and networks, youth leaders, youth activists, young entrepreneurs, representatives of Government, policy makers, Inter-governmental, AU Commission, NEPAD Agency, UN agencies, civil society and private sector, academia, and other local and international development partners and foundations from across Africa and Diaspora.
- Language: The deliberations of the meeting will be conducted in English and French.
How to Apply
Applicants must register themselves online via given website.
For more information, please visit http://africanyouthcommission.org/3rd-pan-african-youth-conference/