On Wednesday 27
February 2013, a key meeting took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris with
the goal of giving young people an opportunity to better grasp the African
Youth Charter. During the World Summit on the Information Society Review Event,
the youth team of UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector got together with
“O.S.E.R. l’Afrique” (DARE Africa) in a workshop :“The African Youth Charter:
mobilization of young women and men”. The participants, members of young
Africans associations, could discuss and share ideas on the Charter and its
benefits for young people.
The organization of the event was
willingly left in the hands of a panel of young Diaspora people. The workshop
was chaired by Jonathan Nyemb, co-author of the “Carnet pour l’Afrique” and
member of “O.S.E.R. l’Afrique” and Laetitia Sagno, member of UNESCO’s High
Panel on Peace and Dialogue among Cultures, with the help of Babette Kizonzolo,
President of “O.S.E.R. l’Afrique “; Précieux Massoueme, President of the Youth
Association of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC); Alexandra
Ondoua, Communication Officer for the Journal Inspire Afrika; and Linda
Kouvouama, President of the Young Leaders for African Development (YLAD)
Association; and many others.
The workshop presented some of the
videos which will be produced online in the framework of an audiovisual
campaign around the African Youth Charter. This work, based on the
collaboration between the Commission of the African Union and UNESCO, is part
of a process aiming at getting this Charter to be known and disseminated.
Africa
is now experiencing tremendous growth, but numerous young people have not had
the opportunity to go to school or to learn how to read and write. These videos
give these young people – men and women aged 15 to 35, from different
backgrounds – an insight into their rights but also their duties.
More generally, this Charter should
appear to them as a key framework guiding youth-related actions in Africa. This
campaign is a call for action to young women and men to encourage their
governments to ratify the Charter and to implement it. Young African people
will also be invited to participate and engage themselves in this movement
through a “CLICK” on a dedicated webpage, the objective being to receive as
many signatures as possible.
During the debate, each of the articles
and themes of the Charter were discussed by the participants. They all
recognized it as an important frame, which allows young people to be aware of
the challenges awaiting them, especially concerning the development of Africa,
the improvement of school conditions, and of women’s status as well as their
role in public life. The participants committed to promote the Charter to their
governments.
The Charter allows young people to hope
for a better future. Letting as many people as possible know about the Charter
will influence leaders into taking better care of this spearhead youth of a new
Africa.
Source: UNESCO
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