Connect African Development

Tanzania Ratifies African Youth Charter

2012-02-07T19:51:00.001+03:00

UNFPA Tanzania Representative,

Dr. Julitta Onabanjo

Tanzania has ratified the African Youth Charter, but with one reservation. The charter was developed and adopted in 2006 by Ministers of Youth and the African Union Summit, with the support of UNFPA. To date, at least 27 African countries have ratified the charter.

Charter Ratified - but with one reservation

“It is evident that UNFPA's support to advance youth development has been instrumental in realizing the ratification,” said Ngasuma Kanyeka, Managing Director of Capacitate Consulting Ltd. However, Tanzania’s ratification has occurred with one reservation – that of allowing girls who are pregnant to return to school. “We still have our work cut out for us, but we are celebrating every step towards progress,” Ms.Kanyeka said.

Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA Representative in Tanzania, congratulated all UNFPA’s partners “who also worked hard to get this through despite the reservation. The issue of pregnant girls not being allowed to continue school is a significant reservation and we need to continue the advocacy around this.”

Government seeks to by-pass reservation

However, the Tanzanian Government is attempting through other channels to by-pass the reservation. “The Tanzania Ministry of Education is working through the Parliamentary Committee on Social Welfare to get Cabinet Approval to allow pregnant girls to continue with their education after delivery,” said Christine Mwanukuzi-Kwayu, UNFPA Gender Specialist in Tanzania.

A Review of 2011 >>> Whats the Plan for 2012?

2012-01-15T16:55:00.003+03:00

We had an excellent time setting up and beginning the journey that is CAD Blog. 2011 was rewarding in many respects for us and the first which we must mention is the 5,000+ hits we received on the Blog in the space of less than 3 months. At the close of 2011, we had received up to 5,035 hits. We thank you for your continued interest and hope you will continue engaging with us. We also hope to continue delivering on your expectations...well, at least try.

The theme we covered for the time we were operational in 2011 was YOUTH. We shared many stories, profiles of different youth organizations on the continent, articles from different contributors, news from diverse organizations, information from different gatherings and much more. What we set out to do was provoke discussion, the need for solutions and the need to CONNECT and SHARE.

We did the best we could. The challenge as always is in taking the first step. We have encountered different degrees of interest in what we are doing. We called for participation, offered a platform and made it virtually as easy as 1,2,3 to engage through CAD Blog. There is still a reluctance among many. We would have rather seen even greater numbers utilizing the information and discussions we were sharing. We would have appreciated being challenged to become even better, because without information, without learning from one another and without recognizing the efforts and challenges seen on the ground; changing the prospects of the continent will be that little bit harder to do.

Scaling up Youth Engagement in HIV Prevention Approaches – some ideas and reflections.

2012-01-14T20:21:00.002+03:00

In the spirit of Research Exercise we completed on December 8th 2011 and what it stood for, we feel it is important to highlight the need to highlight approaches that have been working with respect to engaging young people in HIV prevention efforts. We will also share some ideas and reflect on trends in this regard. This is not a report of the research exercise we conducted. The report and follow-up articles will be shared later this month.

Young people are taking the lead in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Compounded by the challenge of being one of the most at risk group for new infections, with limited access to information and services (that are relevant and friendly), their leadership is critical in halting the spread and beginning to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. This position is widely accepted. At the June 2011 High Level meeting on HIV/AIDS, global leaders gave further support to increasing and strengthening youth engagement in HIV prevention in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. Building from this global commitment, actors should move to improve and scale up the way they are engaging young people in these efforts.

But where do we start? With 30 years since the first HIV cases were recorded and more than two decades of prevention efforts, is there anything new that can be done to enhance the engagement of a particular group, in this case young people? As dynamic as the youth population is from demographic and social standpoints, the assumption here is that there is always more to be done.

Exiting 2011 - Reflections on Youth Demographics.

2012-01-04T11:00:00.000+03:00

We are now closing shop on our focus on young people. In the next two weeks, we will be introducing a new strategy and improvements to the Blog. For now, we would like to offer reflections on the growing youth population in the world with the following videos. The scenarios presented are certainly a cause for debate. We look forward to hearing your reactions and moving ahead into a change-making 2012.

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CrowdOutAIDS Drafting Committee – Call for applications.

2011-12-23T17:31:00.002+03:00

Some news from the CrowdOutAIDS Team. We encourage everyone to apply. This is the sort of "hands-on" experience that we think young people should have.

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The CrowdOutAIDS online and offline forums are coming to an end; we are making preparations for the next phases to transform discussions into an actionable strategy. We are analyzing all the fantastic input and will turn this into a survey which will be sent back to participants to validate the findings of the forums.

In the final step of CrowdOutAIDS, an independent drafting committee will be selected to collaboratively author the outcome document of the process via online tools and live drafting sessions.

The drafting committee will be made up of 7 “editors.” The purpose of the drafting committee is to objectively reflect on the various outputs from the CrowdOutAIDS process and put together a clear, concise, actionable plan together with key definitions and principles that UNAIDS should adhere to when working with young people.

Why Involve Young People in Poverty Reduction Efforts?

2011-12-22T19:31:00.001+03:00

The Youth Population is the largest in history today. The
shier number alone make it imperative to ensure their
engagement in policy development and implementation.

At policy level, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and National Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategies are at the core of defining national efforts to address poverty in a multitude of aspects. The African continent, among the developing world, has known poverty for decades and in many parts, millions of people still live under 1 USD a day, an estimate indicating significant levels of poverty. And from a non-income perspective, poor infrastructure and social services further compound the intensity of poverty people face on the African continent. To that end, the question this piece will be trying to answer is how particular groups in society, especially young people, can be involved in the development, implementation and eventual review of these strategies.

Why Involve Young People?

This question today is no longer important to ask, because the importance has already been demonstrated by current demographic trends on the continent. But to further emphasize, let us examine this a little further.

Young people in Africa, as defined by the African Youth Charter – 15 to 35, amount to 364 million on the continent according to estimates from the UN Population Division and as reported in the State of the African Youth Report. The significance of this large cohort of young people, unprecedented in history cannot be overemphasized. In a population of just over 1 billion on the continent, it is more than imperative to ensure policy decisions and actions taken today receive equal and wider participation from this group, else sustainability of actions on the ground will always be suspect and will waste precious resources – resources we have already agreed the continent does not have.

The State of the African Youth Report 2011; Why was it and is Still a Potent Document for Youth Development Actors on the Continent?

2011-12-15T22:05:00.000+03:00

The State of theAfrican Youth Report is a continental analysis providing an evidence basedaccount on the status of young people today. The report was prepared incollaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and is intended to be thesource of data and information on the continent’s efforts to meet policy andstructural challenges in efforts to unlock the potential of African Youth.

The 2011 Report is acritical document in that it cements the African Union’s efforts to describe,consolidate and bring together actors in a common youth development agenda onthe continent. Parallel to the report, the African Union Commission is workingon a number of programmes that are now underlining efforts to realizedevelopment for African youth. From the African Youth Charter, the Decade onAfrican Youth Development Action Plan, African Union Youth Volunteer Programmeand Youth Statistical Database, actors across the continent now have a canvaswith which to align their efforts to.

2011 was an importantyear for Youth Development on the African continent. Not only was the agendaadvanced to levels never seen before, but young people took precedence and afront seat in voicing their ideas, concerns and commitment to their own development.The International Year of Youth culminated in August 2011; the African Heads ofStates Summit in Malabo adopted a ground-braking decisions, outcomes andresolutions on young people; this was preceded by an African Youth Forum,completely lead by young people that deliberated on critical issues such as (a)Financing for Youth Development, (b) Implementation of Youth Policy andstructures needed for coordination and (c) outlining recommendations thatinformed the heads of states summit decisions.

ICASA 2011 Youth Pre Conference Call to Action Resolution

2011-12-11T13:34:00.000+03:00

A selection of participants during the Pre-Conference.

The ICASA Youth Pre-Conference is now over and we are well underway in the main conference. We are happy to have been part of this so far and continue to engage fully. To us, this has not been one of those talk-shops. We think the resulting "Call to Action" is realistic and can be implemented. What is unique was the real commitment we saw among our compatriots in ensuring the calls we made are actually implemented.

We were an active part of the Youth Pre-Cofnerence. We made a exciting presentation on the first day on a research exercise we are running until 8th December and were also part of the "Call to Action" writing team, which also presented the document to a group of journalists.

With that, we would like to share with you the "Call to Action" from the ICASA Youth Conference for your information and perusal.

2011 ICASA Youth Pre-Conference Call to Action; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This call to action represents the commitments and expectations of over 300 young people from across Africa and the Diaspora who have met in Addis Ababa from the 1st to 3rd December, 2011 for the ICASA Youth Preconference.

Endorse the Africa Youth Charter as it provides a holistic approach in addressing the realities (opportunities and challenges) of the delivering the youth agenda. It provides a legal platform for the implementation of a comprehensive youth policy framework.

Take Part in a PRSP Essay Competition by SAYM/ AfriYAN and Win a State of the Art Smartphone.

2011-12-10T10:09:00.001+03:00

AfriYAN Logo

Direct citizen consultation and participation in policymaking processes, such as formulating a national poverty reduction strategy, entails considerable extra effort and cost on the part of civil servants. Do governments think it is worth the effort?

“From this point of view, this strategy paper is not simply another Government planning document, but rather it is a real expression of deeply held concerns and visions of the nation, particularly of those who are so often on the margins of society.” (Lesotho 2006: 1).

The Southern Africa Youth Movement, serving as the Secretariat for African Youth Network on Population and Development (AfriYAN) in Eastern and Southern Africa, is seeking to award enthusiastic African young people (writers, journalists and other youth), who want to demonstrate their abilities by examining these issues.

What is the Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS and the Youth Focal Point Program?

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000+03:00

GYCA Logo

GYCA is a youth-led network of nearly 5,000 young leaders and adult allies in over 150 countries working to promote young people’s health and rights in the era of AIDS. Launched by young attendees of the International AIDS Conferences in Barcelona 2002 and Bangkok 2004, GYCA recognizes the potential of young leaders and empowers them with knowledge, skills, resources, and opportunities to expand their own initiatives and engage with the global community working towards “zero new HIV-infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths’

GYCA’s work is focused in three main areas: Capacity-building and technical assistance; Networking and sharing of best practices; and Political advocacy. We advocate for a human rights-based approach to HIV and AIDS interventions that includes full and accurate information, comprehensive education and services. Because most young people are infected with HIV through sexual intercourse, GYCA reaffirms that sexual and reproductive health and rights must be integrated with HIV and AIDS interventions to succeed.

Our decision-makers include young people living with HIV. GYCA is committed to working with and for marginalized youth such as injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, sex workers, young women, and youth in resource-constrained areas, and aims to create meaningful youth-adult partnerships. We have offices in New York, Ghana, and Toronto, and work closely with 12 young community advocates serving as Regional Focal Points and approximately 50 serving as National Focal Points globally.

Why Have You Not RATIFIED the AFRICAN YOUTH CHARTER?

2011-12-07T14:00:00.001+03:00

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Project 1: Examining the State of Africa's Youth Policy Framework

Article 03

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In 2006, African Governments agreed unanimously and passed the African Youth Charter in Banjul, the Gambia. Passing the Charter was an important step in furthering the youth development agenda on the African continent. As a continental youth policy framework, the charter was to become binding when 15 instruments for ratification were deposited. But whilst the charter has already entered into force since 2009, there are still a number of African countries that are yet to ratify. So we are asking, WHY HAVE YOU NOT RATIFIED THE AFRICAN YOUTH CHARTER?

We are taking part in a Youth Leadership session at ICASA right now and wanted to bring attention and name the countries that have yet to ratify the charter. Does it mean that youth development is not important in these countries? Does it mean that having also agreed on and passed the Decade on Youth Development Action plan (2009 to 2018), which is essentially a road-map to the implementation of the charter, youth development in these countries is nothing but a passive aspect in national development?

A Message from the Team - Become a Volunteer for CrowdOutAIDS!

2011-12-07T12:13:00.001+03:00

Here is a message from the CrowdOutAIDS Team. We commend them for all the work they are doing. Please read below for action.

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Dear activists,

CrowdOutAIDS is the first time the UN collaboratively develops an actionable strategy on HIV and young people using online technologies, and youth organized meet-ups around the world. The aim of the UNAIDS Secretariat New Generation Leadership Strategy 2012-2015 is to define and integrate meaningful youth participation and leadership into the UNAIDS Secretariat’s work and methods, and stimulate increased HIV awareness to mobilize young people in the response.

Not all young people have access to the internet, particularly in some countries and communities where new HIV infections are high. To ensure that the strategy captures the diverse needs and challenges faced by young people in the AIDS response today, over a 200 volunteers will host CrowdOutAIDS Open Forums around the world, as you can see on the CrowdMap. We have been amazed by the reports, video’s and pictures people have submitted so far.

The African Young Positive’s Network (AY+N) Launched; What is it?

2011-12-06T15:40:00.001+03:00

Participants attending the AY+ Network Launch during
ICASA 2011; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Africa Young Positives Network has just been launched in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as part of the 2011 ICASA Program. The side event was attended by people from diverse backgrounds with an interest in HIV/AIDS. Hosted by Vanessa Mdee (MTV Networks Africa), a panel of 5 people was convened. Participants were also given an opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and finally participate in the launching of the network.

AfriYAN has New Leadership - A Young Woman Now Heads the Network.

2011-12-06T13:56:00.001+03:00

By: Aristophanes Ngargoune, ICASA Youth Front Media Team.

AfriYAN Logo.

The General Assembly of AfriYAN was held on 1st December 2011 at the headquarters of the African Union, Addis Ababa. AfriYAN is a network of young people in Africa on Population and Development. Young people in this network gather to intensify efforts in the fight against HIV / AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Commodities. This General Assembly came at the end of an orientation workshop for young leaders on Sexual and Reproductive Health Commodities Security, which was held from 28th to 30th November 2011.

The General Assembly was attended by the Regional Advisor of UNFPA, Dr. Akinyele Dairo Senior, focal points in reproductive health among youth, regional advisers and some staffs of UNFPA country offices . It is about forty young member of Afri YAN representing all regions of Africa who participated in the General Assembly during which he has had an overhaul of the office network.

Update 1: ICASA Youth Pre-Conference Program

2011-12-02T15:53:00.001+03:00

We are happy to be part of ICASA 2011 Youth Pre-Conference. Our representative arrived and has been part of the process. We made one of the first presentations on the first day and will be providing a short summary of the presentation in the coming hours. For those who have not been able to make it to this gathering but would like to find out more information on the kinds of discussions going on, here is a link to the Program.

COP 17 and CMP 7 Begins today - We Reaffirm Our Call for Stronger and Strategic Youth Engagement.

2011-11-27T05:03:00.001+03:00

The latest round of Climate Change negotiations are starting today in Durban South Africa. We have already began to hearing from the many young people attending the talks through the updates they are posting on various platforms. The program is extensive and offers a lot of opportunity to ensure the voices of young people are heard.

We posted an Open Letter a few days back to the young people from the African Continent attending these Climate Change negotiations. We called for a engagement with a purpose. We called for collaboration. We called for substance and consistency. We called for passion and much more. With this short piece, we want to reaffirm our call.

Africa is facing a lot of challenges as a result of Climate Change. The continent is by far a victim than an instigator. We are suffering as a result of selfish, capitalistic and short-cited policies of the developed world. And as a result of the adverse changes they are causing, Africa and most of the developing world is left to suffer the effects. Some countries will disappear in the next decades as a result of sea level rise. Others will sink even deeper in poverty because of loosing their livelihoods and others will suffer diseases that would have not reached them had it not been for Climate Change.

We know the history of our world tells us that Climate Change happens anyway, but we also know that the economic policies of the developed world is accelerating and making the effects of these changes even more severe. Food security is one of the issues that emerges from the climate catastrophe and because of their economic might, developed countries are now breathing down Africa's neck and grabbing land to ensure supply of grain. The sad part is our leaders are falling into their trap and are selling land and rights to produce on the land for absurd amounts and periods of time. And when they do this, the interests of the communities these transactions affect are not an issue considered.

Our Renewed Call

UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women Marks 15th Anniversary – New Call for Proposals Announced

2011-11-24T14:00:00.000+03:00

UN Women Press Release
For immediate release
Media Contact: Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist, oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org, +1 646 781-4522.

United Nations, New York, 23 November 2011 — To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, and in tribute to grassroots activists around the world who are at the forefront of the efforts to end the pandemic of violence, the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) today announced its new global Call for Proposals to support country-level programmes to end violence against women and girls.

This year’s Call for Proposals marks the UN Trust Fund’s 15th anniversary. “The fifteen years of the UN Trust Fund have shown us what works to end violence against women,” said Michelle Bachelet, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women. “Change is possible, and the strategies and innovations that have developed with support from the UN Trust Fund are a strong testament to the fact that we are at a unique moment in history to put an end to violence against women. It is time to translate this momentum into reality for women and girls, and their communities and nations.”

The UN Trust Fund’s partners work to prevent violence and to ensure critical services — including legal aid, health care, shelter, and psychosocial support — to women and girl survivors of violence. Using multiple strategies, UN Trust Fund partners are working with youth, engaging men and boys, combining media with education, and developing the capacity of first responders. Showcasing the impressive results achieved through the projects, the UN Trust Fund recently published a new report, “UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women – Mapping of the Grantees’ Outcomes (2006 to mid-2011).”

African Youth Decade Alliance - LAUNCHED TO COMPLEMENT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AU DECADE ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (2009 TO 2018)

2011-11-24T07:29:00.001+03:00

The African Monitor in partnership with Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) and the following youth organizations and networks: The International Young Catholic Students, Association Jeunesse Verte du Cameroon (AJVC), Nahdet El Mahrousa, Southern Africa Youth Movement, Network for African Youths for Development, African University Students Network, South African Youth Council, have established the African Youth Decade Alliance (AYDA).

The African Youth Decade Alliance was formed in Johannesburg during the first steering committee meeting held from the 7th to 8th November 2011, in which the representatives of the organizations above mentioned attended. The vision of the Alliance is to see a connected Africa, advancing the African youth developmental agenda. The mission of the Alliance is to mobilize and provide a functional and technical platform for African Youth Organizations (AYOs) and networks to effectively and constructively contribute to the implementation of the AU African Youth Charter and Youth Decade Plan of Action.

The African Youth Decade Alliance seeks to unite African Youth Organizations and networks around the imperative of the implementation of the African Union Youth Decade Plan of Action and the African Youth Charter. To achieve this aim, the African Youth Decade Alliance will be embarking on a strategy of African Youth policy engagement, fostering partnerships and synergies between Alliance’s members and facilitating the input of African Youth Organisations and networks into Africa’s development discourse.

THE GLOBAL FUND ADOPTS NEW STRATEGY TO SAVE 10 MILLION LIVES BY 2016

2011-11-23T21:58:00.001+03:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
23 November 2011

Reductions in Resource Outlook Limit Funding of New Grants

Global Fund Logo.

ACCRA, Ghana – The Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has adopted a new strategy which commits the institution to work with implementing countries and partner organizations to sustain and accelerate gains in the fight against the pandemics. The Global Fund aspires to contribute substantially to international goals by saving 10 million lives and preventing 140-180 million new infections from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria from 2012 to 2016.

The Board also approved a Consolidated Transformation Plan for the organization to improve its risk management, fiduciary controls and governance. The plan will refocus staff and resources on grant management in high-risk countries; reform the way the Global Fund approves grants by moving towards a more interactive process with applicants and partners and strengthen the Board’s governance processes.

“The five-year strategy and transformation plan adopted at the meeting together commit the Global Fund to shift to a new funding model that focuses on investing strategically in countries, populations and interventions with high potential for impact and strong value for money,” said Board Chair Simon Bland. “It will provide its funding in a more proactive, flexible and predictable way. It will better manage risk and it will work more actively with countries and partners to facilitate grant implementation success. In doing so, I believe the Global Fund will shift from an institution that has successfully provided emergency funding to allow countries to cope with the runaway pandemics, to become a sustainable, efficient funder of the global efforts to control them and eventually win the battle against AIDS, TB and malaria.”

Youth Engagement in Decision Making – How can we do it better?

2011-11-19T18:24:00.001+03:00

As Published on the CrowdOutAIDS Blog, 19th November 2011

By: Robert T. Kasenene

Youth engagement, Youth Participation, Youth Involvement and Youth Adult Partnership. These are terminologies that have been used time and again to mean young people are taking part in their own development; making decisions, informing policy, designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programmes. This is what I know it means, but with these terms used interchangeably so many times, how can we be sure we are all saying and meaning the same thing? How can we say we are all aspiring towards ensuring young people are truly defining and shaping their own development?

When this equation is examined, the key issue emerging is “decision making.” Regardless of how many young people come to your activities or are part of committees, their presence at programme level will not make any sense if they do not get to make any decisions. Perhaps one thing that ties these terms together is decision making; decisions in policy, program design and focus, priority targets and much more.

Picture: CoA

2nd African Road Safety Conference - An Opinion Piece from a young delegate

2011-11-16T12:42:00.000+03:00

By: Brian Kanaahe Mwebaze Bilal

YOURS is proud to have one its active young spokespeople for road safety Mr Brian Mwebaze from Uganda report back from the 2nd African Road Safety Conference. Brian has written his own report from his own opinion and YOURS gives Brian the opportunity to provide his analysis from a young person's perspective.

Please note that opinions expressed in this article are that of Mr Brian Mwebaze (who is a national of Uganda), more information can be found at his blog. YOURS gives young people an open platform to debate their opinions.

Was It A Wastage Of $$? My Analysis Of The 2nd African Conference On Road Safety-Ethiopia.

We are all used to this, aren’t we? Decision makers attending to conferences half way only to appear on the last minute to sign for their perdiems, poor participation and involvement of relevant stakeholders, domination of discussions on key topics, and a consistent wave of general unseriousness? That was typical of International African Conferences>>>>Am not kidding by the way, we have records that were set by some African Leaders in 1978 during the formation of Alma Alta Declaration on Primary Health Care! As some news paper (which ofcourse Iam not gonna write here) later reported, ‘Participants from Africa were a disgrace to the conference, sometimes daring to appear with their spouses in the conference hall’. We know that Africans did not understand the rules of the game as regards the primary health care approach…and you know the story concerning the public health arena in Africa.

An Open Letter to the Young Africans Heading to the Climate Talks in Durban, Nov - Dec 2011.

2011-11-14T08:00:00.000+03:00

We ran a piece sometime back asking "Summits, Conferences, Meetings, Workshops, Seminars - So What?". This question is fitting of these Climate Talks. What if anything will be the use of another set of talks? We talk too much - when will we see actual action being taken? We often ask ourselves, why is it that we cannot replicate the sort of political will the world showered on the issue of "Terrorism" on such immediate and dire issues as Climate Change, HIV/AIDS, Hunger and Poverty. It goes to show where the priorities are.

People are dying now. Livelihoods are being destroyed. The topography and indeed some countries are being wiped off the map because of climate change. People are dying every second because they can not get something to eat and for those who can, a large percent can not meet their needs (food, shelter, medical services etc). Yet these issues continue to receive inadequate political commitment. But for an issue such as Terrorism, we saw countries passing a UN resolution and enacting laws almost overnight, and a multi-billion dollar, multi-state war being initiated all in the space of months.

Why are we not seeing the same commitment on the issues that matter even more? Will these talks be any different? Will your participation, as a young climate activist (we assume that is why you are going) be any different and or will it make any difference? How have you really prepared for the talks? Have you engaged your government to secure a particular position? Have you connected with the rest of the continent to ensure our leaders do not abandon the unity of the African voice on this occasion? Do you even have a real passion and drive to address the issue of climate change or are you just excited at another opportunity to travel and lounge in the name of another conference?

Where are the talks now?

ICASA 2011 Awarded Sponsorship and Scholarship Grants.

2011-11-11T18:31:00.001+03:00

Press Release

ICASA 2011 SECRETARIAT

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

P.O. Box 122326, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel: +251 115 54 87 732788/2532, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

11 November 2011

Immediate Release

ADDIS ABABA – ICASA 2011 awarded 800 local and international scholarship, and more than 330 sponsorship locally. The 800 scholarship is targeted to all scholarship categories, of which some are fully funded, while others are partially funded. In a similar development, more than 330 sponsorship is awarded to local participants from different organizations to take part and share experiences in the conference.

The recipients of the award include institutions such as: sector ministries, faith based organizations, higher education institutions, research institutions, hospitals, civil service organizations, PLHIV, youth and women associations, and community based organizations among others.

Experiences - Challenges - Approaches; where are we with HIV Prevention among young people?

2011-11-11T08:00:00.000+03:00

Take part in our ongoing research
exercise on HIV prevention among
young people.
AIDS Ribbon PHOTO - CharRob/
Photobucket

This is to further explain the conceptualization behind the research exercise we are running. For a link to the online information form, CLICK HERE. The deadline to participate is 8th December 2011.

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We will begin this piece by taking a step forward and looking at the latest global commitments on HIV/AIDS and work our way back to the issue at hand behind the exercise we are running.

At the June 2011 UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, global leaders updated their commitment by passing the "Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS; Intensifying our Efforts to Eliminate HIV/AIDS." In this new declaration, global leaders have put forth targets set for 2015 that are expected to significantly change the course of this global pandemic.

So what are these targets with respect to young people? In a nutshell, the United Nations and essentially your governments have committed to the following with specific mentioning of young people;

Leadership: Support young people to play a leadership role in the continuing fight against HIV/AIDS helping to develop measures that will ensure young people are engaged in fighting the pandemic. We are already seeing an example of this right now with the CrowdOutAIDS project that the UN Joint Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is currently running (led and informed by young people),
Prevention: Harnessing the energy of young people to help lead Global HIV awareness by redoubling prevention efforts and ensuring access to new modes of connection and communication,
Supporting evidence based prevention approaches that target young people among other groups by ensuring financing is targeted and cost effective,
Human Rights: promoting laws and policies that ensure the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for young people, particularly those living with HIV and those at higher risk of HIV infection, so as to eliminate the stigma and discrimination they face.

What is CrowdOutAIDS? What will we be doing?

2011-11-10T19:41:00.001+03:00

So we are joining this train a little after the journey started, but we are happy non the less. It is important to be sure what contribution you will be making before you commit to and or take part in anything.

CrowdOutAIDS

We are currently working on a research exercise to highlight EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES AND NEW PRACTICES in HIV Prevention efforts among young people in the build up to ICASA 2011. We are using an online survey form to collect information. We will also be leading a session during ICASA 2011, together with carrying out a focus group discussion to gather more information. The information we gather will be used to write a report about what New Experiences, Challenges and Approaches are worth noting in efforts to mitigate the AIDS pandemic among young people.

Now we feel CrowdOutAIDS is one example we will be highlighting in this exercise. In the exercise, we are also asking whether there are any "social media approaches" to HIV prevention targeting young people. CrowdOutAIDS is a perfect example with attributes worth noting. Not only are young people being engaged to dictate solutions; they are also being given an opportunity to determine major policy for an important international HIV/AIDS program, UNAIDS.

UNAIDS says on the CrowdOutAIDS website that "the 'resulting' youth strategy may also become an advocacy platform in UNAIDS’ work with partners." We hope this is not just another publicity attempt to be seen engaging young people. We hope the strategy "will" shape the "advocacy platform" and not "may"...words speak volumes for program action.

RESEARCH - Youth EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES and New PRACTICES in HIV Prevention among Young People.

2011-11-08T16:00:00.000+03:00

Are you an HIV/AIDS activist, a group or organization on HIV Prevention targeting young people? Take part in a research exercise we are conducting today.

2011 marks 30 since the first HIV case was reported in 1981. We have come a long way since then. Whilst a cure has yet to be discovered, we have seen many advancements in both medical and advocacy approaches to combat the pandemic. But 30 years on, the question still remains. How much of what we are doing is actually working?

CAD Blog is conducting a research exercise to document 3 aspects (EXPERIENCES, CHALLENGES AND NEW PRACTICES) that we hope will help provide an understanding to actors on the ground on where we stand with respect to HIV prevention among young people. The target group and eventual beneficiaries of this exercise are expected to be individuals, groups and organizations working on issues around HIV prevention.

The research exercise will involve three approaches; (a) an Online Information Collection Form, (b) a Plenary Session during ICASA 2011 and (c) a face to face focus group discussion during ICASA 2011.

--------------TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RESEARCH EXERCISE, CLICK HERE--------------

Youth of Africa: are we losing the revolution?

2011-11-08T12:00:00.000+03:00

By: Kondwani Muthali, Malawi

Photo: NRW/PICASAWEB

The African Union still lives in the past that is a fact. They were the last to realise that Muammar Gadafi was not going to rule Libya anymore, whether they recognised the National Transition Council or not.

The AU, even with the Youth Volunteer programme, does not see anything long-term to keep training young people without creating room for placement. Someone, as one Commissioner told us, is worried more of the image (quick results) than long term outcomes that can shape the continent.

After making noise on the Youth Charter, the AU has failed to push states to invest in Young Africans and allow them active participation in all issues. In today’s a fast changing globe, the Commissioner responsible for Youth at the AU is probably the oldest man at the institution.

African Youth have lost the revolution from the beginning.

I was in Tripoli in 2000, when the deposed Libyan dictator, Muammar Gadafi, hosted the Organisation of African Unity Summit for Youth and Civil Society to consider the United States of Africa concept that starts with the African Union.

Call for applications: Grants to Support Global South Youth Participants at COP17 and COY7 in Durban, South Africa, 25 November - 10 December 2011

2011-11-05T13:00:00.000+03:00

Sent by e-mail from: Jean Paul Brice Affana, Focal Point to the UNFCCC Secretariat, YOUNGOs, Youth Constituency at the United Nations, Framework Convention on Climate Change, Yaoundé, Cameroon

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The Youth Constituency at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (YOUNGO) received funding from the Norwegian government to enable the participation of fifteen (15) youth from Global South at the 17th Conference Of Parties at the UNFCCC (COP17) in Durban from 28 November to 9 December 2011, including the 7th Conference Of Youth (COY7) that will held from 25-27 November 2011 in Durban as well. YOUNGO now has the pleasure to announce the call for applications and invite all young people in the Global South involved with climate change activities, projects, campaigns and who are active members of organizations to consider this call. If you are interested to apply, please read carefully the information below before applying.

Who can apply?

African ICT Week (AICTW); 14 - 20 November 2011.

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000+03:00

Africa ICT Week Logo

ICT - Tools for Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development.

The African Union is conscious of the obstacles that prevent the African society to develop and bridge the gap with other developed countries. By organizing the AICTW, the AU wishes to implement the Tunis commitment on the Information Society and the ARAPKE in order to make life conditions in Africa better and integrated in the knowledge Society and the Millennium Development Goals.

Furthermore, the AU wishes to raise the awareness on the possibilities offered by ICTs. It also invites African governments, the private sector as well as the civil society to work together to improve access to infrastructure and ICT, and create an information knowledge society. The African Union will also reinforce the capacities, increase confidence and safety in the use of ICT, to support and promote respect for African cultures and diversity.

The week should draw the attention to the values of the ICTs and specifically to promote use and outline the vision of Africa in building a knowledge economy. The Week also aims at demonstrating the values and advantages of communicating digitally and in general how ICTs could improve the quality of life.

6th African Economic Conference: Youth Employment within the new African Green Economy Agenda.

2011-11-04T14:00:00.000+03:00

By: Esther Agbarakwe

Esther Agbarakwe (far left) at the
6th African Economic Conference

According to the United Nations, Africa is well poised to take advantage of a host of opportunities on the continent for building a ‘green economy,’ one that generates decent jobs in an environmentally sustainable way.

The concept of the green economy is one of the several closely related constructs that have emerged in recent years to enhance convergence among the three pillars of sustainable development. According to the UNEP Green Economy Report, a green economy is defined as an economy that results in improved human well-being and reduced inequalities over the long term, while not exposing future generations to significant environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient, socially-inclusive, and that protects and enhances biodiversity and ecosystem services.

But is how will all this potential be harvested for the benefit of Africa’s citizens and in a way that promotes stability in Africa and beyond? How will the millions of African youth find peace and stability through job opportunities which has been seriously promoted as one of the results of this ambitious transition to green Economy?

The Global Fund (AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) - Youth Guide

2011-11-04T10:00:00.000+03:00

Why a Global Fund Guide for Youth?

The Global Fund involves many partners and works at many levels – from the global to the community. Its systems are not always easy to navigate. Young people learning about the Global Fund have found in-person training very helpful – but it cannot be offered everywhere, to everyone. So, this guide is meant to give young people interested in working with the Global Fund a simple introduction.

Reading this guide is just step one. Once you have read it, you can follow the links or make personal connections where you live so you can find out who else is engaged and join with them. We hope this step will help more young people get engaged and make a difference in the global response to HIV, TB and malaria.

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We hope this is a helpful tool to share and all those working in this arena. You can download the Guide by CLICKING HERE.

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Editorial Team.

IFPC Dakar, Senegal 2011 - Youth and Policymakers Dialogue

2011-11-04T02:39:00.002+03:00

To RSVP to this Dialogue, please CLICK HERE.

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Editorial Team.

UPDATE: The African Youth Panel Summit finishes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

2011-11-01T17:17:00.000+03:00

A Group Shot of the Panel Members/ Photo: Rotimi Olewale

We featured a short article on the African Youth Panel a few days back. READ IT HERE. We talked about the Summit they were to conduct for 3 days. These are some of the results from the Summit.

The Summit

Just over 30 young professionals attended the Summit, together with partner from Canada and Denmark from 29th November to 1st November 2011. Also in attendance were representatives from the African Union Youth Division. What the Summit aimed to do was to set the basis for the institutionalization of the Panel. In doing this, participants listened to presentations from different sources to inform their decision. The presentations came from the African Union Youth Division, partners from Denmark and some of the participants themselves.

African Youth Day 2011 - Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development; HOW WILL YOU BE COMMEMORATING IT?

2011-10-29T13:52:00.001+03:00

AU Logo

The African Youth Day (AYD), commemorated every year on the 1st November was first declared during the African Union Heads of States Summit in Banjul, The Gambia in 2006 after the endorsement the African Youth Charter (AYC), and the declaration of 2008 as the Year of African Youthby the second Ordinary Session of the Conference of Ministries in charge of youth (COMY II) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The 2011 commemorations activities will be held under the theme "Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development", where the focus will be on "Building Youth Friendly Governments".

Member States and indeed all African countries are encouraged to commemorate the day to further reinforce and support the decisions and outcomes of the 17th African Heads of States Summit, Malabo (2011). The African Union has stressed that the African Youth Day celebrations are one occasion that Africa must utilize to pursue dialogue between African leaders and the youth, but also implement visible initiatives targeting young people.

Youth Statement at the Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for the RIO+20

2011-10-29T02:40:00.002+03:00

Youth at the Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for Rio+20

Statement by the Major Group for Children and Youth delivered at the Seventh Session Of The Committee Of Food Security And Sustainable Development (CFSSD-7) and the Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting for The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+ 20), October 22, 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We, the Delegates to the Africa Regional Preparatory Meeting on Rio+20 on behalf of Children and Youth in the continent acknowledge that Rio+20 is of much importance to us being the generation that will be most affected by the decisions to be reached at the conference.

We are united in calling upon African and World leaders to move towards sustainable development that safeguards the planet earth and its people since this is an opportunity we cannot afford to fail in meeting the needs of the present and future generations.

The initiatives pursued in order to support youth as one of the key role players in the advancement towards sustainable development, should acknowledge the vulnerability of children and young people who are in this critical life-stage. On the one hand, while children and youth have the vibrancy, enthusiasm and untapped potentials to emerge as leaders in their homes, communities, society and countries, they are most often impaired by the lack of personal guidance, support and opportunities to access their inherent potentials. This no doubt has indirect and direct implications on the physical, social and economic well-being of youths across our continent.

The World of 7 Billion, What challenges will young African's face?

2011-10-27T06:35:00.002+03:00

Connect African Development Blog is currently running a short survey online on the State of the World Population Report - SWOP 2011. We are asking, with the World of 7 Billion, what challenges will young African's face? The survey will support content for our "unofficial youth supplement" to the report, which we will release as an article on the Blog on 2nd November 2011.

As a contribution to the Report and work of UNFPA, and to help further understand the scope of the challenges young people may face, please take the time to respond to this short survey.

You can access the survey here: SURVEY LINK - CLICK HERE or click on the main post image above or on the right top side of the Blog (on the image of the SWOP 2011 Cover).

We look forward to hearing from you and reading your ideas.

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Editorial Team.

UNFPA's State of the World Population Report 2011 Launched.

2011-10-26T18:43:00.002+03:00

UNFPA SWOP 2011 COVER

The Annual State of the World Population Report from UNFPA has been launched today, October 26th 2011. The title of the report for this year is "People and Posibilities in a World of 7 Billion". The report comes at a time when estimates suggest that on October 31st 2011, the World's Population will reach 7 billion. It is no suprise then that the cover picture is of young people, because the global population today is the youngest ever, with Africa being the youngest continent.

UNFPA says that "this year's State of World Population report, People and Possibilities in a World of 7 Billion, looks at the the dynamics behind the numbers. It explains the trends that are defining our world of 7 billion and documents actions that people in vastly different countries and circumstances are taking in their own communities to make the most of their--and our--world. The report makes the case for sound planning and investing in people".

We will be performing a review of this report and in marking the 7 Billion population on 31st October, we will attempt to present what we are calling an "Unofficial African Youth Supplement to the Report". If you and or your organization are interested in contributing to this coming article, please communicate with us ASAP.

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Editorial Team.

Health Policy Project (USAID Funded) Seeking Letters of Interest.

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000+03:00

This is an opportunity for our brothers and sisters from Local or Regional African Institutions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. We encourage you to seek partnership with other institutions, local and national governments for this. If you are not eligible or unable to utilize this opportunity, we urge you to encourage others who are to apply.

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YPP Logo

The USAID-funded Health Policy Project (HPP) is soliciting LOIs from African institutions interested in working in partnership to implement a multi-year capacity development initiative to strengthen the role of women in promoting family planning and reproductive health as a national and international priority. Organizations working collaboratively may submit joint LOIs for consideration.

The Women Leaders in FP/RH Initiative seeks to develop women FP/RH policy champions from public, civil society and the private sector through formal training, mentorship/coaching and technical support in areas including leadership, FP/RH best practices, cross-cutting factors such as socioeconomic equity and gender, and communication and advocacy.

HPP will implement the initiative in partnership with the selected institution(s) over a three-year period with the goal of fully transitioning the activity to and institutionalizing the activity within the partner organization(s).

Implementing the African Youth Charter: wise up and act now!

2011-10-25T21:55:00.001+03:00

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Project 1: Examining the State of Africa's Youth Policy Framework

Article 02

By: Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima

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The African Youth Charter (AYC) is a quintessential demonstration of African governments’ commitment to entrench youth issues in national and regional decision-making processes. The charter provides for the various rights and freedoms outlined in the earlier article by Connect Africa Development editor. To what extent are these rights different from human rights provisions enshrined in each country’s constitution? In principle, countries could ratify the charter only to the extent that it is consistent with extant national laws. Even when provisions are at variance, the provisos in article two regarding ‘accordance with their constitutional processes’ makes it clear that the national laws will take pre-eminence.

In fact South Africa’s parliament had reservations regarding the provisions of article 24, which refers to mentally and physically challenged youth and ignores other forms of disabilities. However, given that section 213/13 of the South African constitution only permits parliament to accept or reject international agreements, with no provisions for reservations or ‘tampering,’ the charter was adopted ‘as is.’ For the most part, the AYC’s ‘rights and freedoms’ provisions are enshrined in various national constitutions and other international agreements like the Universal declaration on human rights, the African Charter on human and people’s rights and importantly, the African Charter on the rights and welfare of the child. So what makes the rights provisions of the AYC different?

Perhaps, the other provisions regarding education, health care, participation, etc as contained in articles 10 through 25 give more credence to the ‘rights’ provisions. Within a human rights framework, many of these provisions could be considered as citizens entitlements. Therefore,

Implementation of the African Youth Charter; Our Interpretations and Observations.

2011-10-24T09:00:00.000+03:00

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Project 1: Examining the State of Africa's Youth Policy Framework

Article 01

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AU Logo

The African Youth Charter is Africa's overarching policy on young people. Adopted in July 2006 by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Banjul, The Gambia, the charter was to enhance the development work platform on the continent. It took just over three years until the last of the required 15 instruments of ratification was deposited and to date, more than 20 countries have ratified and just less than 40 have signed the Charter. So while we know that Africa's only sure resource to change its prospects are young people and that there is a need for collective action in harnessing this potential, we are still seeing an unequal response to implement a common agreement passed by the same governments that caused its delay.

What does Ratification Mean?

Africa needs to work with what it has and fortunately as of 2009, the African Youth Charter was ratified. But what does ratification actually mean? When a country signs and then ratifies the charter, what changes in the national youth policy framework? Ratification basically means making an initial agreement binding. The ratification process requires that the agreement pass through civic consultation and finally being approved by national assembly or parliament. Once this is done, it means that the agreement in question becomes part of the country's "legal system" and hence followed by compiling the instruments to deposit. To answer our question then will need us to look at exactly what is enshrined in the African Youth Charter and in that respect see what becomes part of a country's legal system.

Unlocking the Youth Potential for Africa’s Development

2011-10-23T18:50:00.002+03:00

By: Freddy Nkosi

As Published by The African Monitor and the NAYD INSPIRE Newsletter

Source: NAYD/INSPIRE NWSLTR

According to the United Nations World Youth Report (2010), young people under the age of 35 comprise 60 per-cent of the continent’s total population, with a projection to reach over 75 per-cent in 2015. Although this huge-bulge represents the continent’s greatest asset for development, many have argued that Africa has not yet tapped into the potential of this demographic advantage. In fact, the youth are facing numerous challenges on the continent, including amongst others;

Poverty: many of the youth suffered the consequences of severe poverty from birth, a situation worsened by the rising cost of child rearing and reduced availability of many basic commodities. Many young people in Africa are impoverished and face difficulty accessing basic education and employment,
Growing population: by 2015, the population aged 15-24 years in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to reach 200 million, and the population aged 15-34 years projected to be 343 million, but there is no proper planning to match the anticipated population increase,
Plummeting levels of income: Sub-Saharan Africa is the only

We are 1 Week Old; Our Core Strategy for 2011 - Lets Connect!

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000+03:00

Source: Dreamfields/Picasaweb

It is now 1 week since we launched Connect African Development. We have received remarkable reception from the masses. At 1 week, we have had more than 1000 hits. We have also had excellent contributions from great young minds on the continent. We also received great feedback on some of the features and content. We appreciate everything and thank you for your support. This is as much a platform we are coordinating as it is yours to populate and utilize. We welcome you for further encounters and experiences in Connecting our efforts for a better African continent.

Our Core Strategy 2011

We stated in an earlier post that whilst we will take on broad issues in the development sector on the continent, our focus for the remainder of 2011 was going to be on Youth Development. Whilst the platform is led by dynamic and inspired young people, our choice to focus on this theme was guided by the importance of this theme in 2011 that it was by our age. As we have mentioned, August 2010 to 2011 was the International Year of Youth and together with all the global activities implemented in this period, Africa also took considerable steps to examine the state of youth development on the continent.

From this examination we saw many things; Africa's Position on Youth Development, important youth gatherings such as the African Youth Forum, a momentous agreement from the African Heads of States Summit and renewed support and calls for the implementation of the African Youth Policy Framework (African Youth Charter, Decade on African Youth Development and its subsequent action plan).

Thus our choice of focus will go on to examine, 90% of the time, the State of Africa's Youth Policy Framework. And in future, we will take a similar approach to examine different issues and this process will be referred to as our "Project" at the time.

What can you expect from this project?

UN Women, through the Fund for Gender Equality, Kicks Off New Call for Proposals on Women’s Empowerment in Arab States

2011-10-20T07:00:00.000+03:00

To our friends in North Africa, we have come across an opportunity to further your work in Women's Political and Economic Empowerment. For now, it is open to Arab States and this for Africa means Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.

We encourage young people working in these themes to consider taking advantage of this opportunity, which will also open to the rest of Africa early 2012. Please read the press release below from UN Women for more information.

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UN Women Press Release

For immediate release

Media Contact: Oisika Chakrabarti, Media Specialist, oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org, +1 646 781-4522.

High impact political and economic empowerment programmes sought, grantees to be announced in December; other regions to follow.

United Nations, New York — UN Women’s Fund for Gender Equality, a grantmaking fund initiated by Spain and dedicated to advancing women’s rights and gender equality, announced today its second Call for Proposals,

People and Possibilities in a World of 7 Billion.

2011-10-19T19:00:00.000+03:00

Source: The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA

"Seven billion people will inhabit the earth on 31 October.

This year's State of World Population report, People and Possibilities in a World of 7 Billion, looks at the the dynamics behind the numbers. It explains the trends that are defining our world of 7 billion and documents actions that people in vastly different countries and circumstances are taking in their own communities to make the most of their--and our--world.

Some of these trends are remarkable: Today, 893 million people are 60 or older. By the middle of this century that number will nearly triple, to reach 2.4 billion. About one in two people now lives in an urban area. In about 35 years, two out of three will. People are living longer. Today's average life span is 68 years, compared to 48 in 1950".

"its not space we need, its balance"

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Where is Africa is in this equation? With increasing pressures on the world economy, environment and resources, what issues can young people and Africa collectively take from the analysis in this report? We will be examining these questions and more as soon as the report comes out.

Editorial Team.

Emerging Security Concepts in Africa; where are the Youth?

2011-10-19T14:00:00.000+03:00

By: Lina Imran, Ethiopia.

Since 1970, more than 30 wars have been fought in Africa. The vast majority of them are intra-state in origin. In 1996 alone, 14 of the 53 countries of Africa were afflicted by armed conflicts, accounting for more than half of all war-related death worldwide and resulting in more than 8 million refugees, returnees and displaced persons.

Several factors account for conflicts in Africa. Some of these include the colonial heritage of authoritarian governance and artificial boundaries, conditions of widespread extreme poverty and scarcity of basic necessities of life. Immediate causes include competition for land, oil or other natural resources, support for internal conflicts by outside actors, government policy and resource misallocation. Factors that exacerbate conflict can include arms imports, pressures of refugees or internally displaced persons and food insecurity.

As a result, African societies are widely perceived to suffer from chronic levels of violent conflict and crime. In this, humanity throughout history has disproportionately placed the burdens of war and violence on its young people.

Though it is believed that the African youth widely suffers from direct violence, which results in injury and abuse; human security issues like hunger, disease and environmental contamination represent grave security threats, which some even proclaim worse than physical violence.

The Conceptual Framework

200 Million Young Africans, 200 Million Opportunities - Joint Initiative on Job Creation for youth in Africa.

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000+03:00

Source: ADB

Source: ADB, 2011

Africa is the youngest region in the world. Youngsters make up more than two thirds of Africa’s population, yet they are more likely than adults to be unemployed. In some countries, such as South Africa, Tunisia and Morocco, youth unemployment rates are up to 3 times higher than those of adults. This serious jobs gap needs to be addressed rapidly or else it could translate into social tensions as recently witnessed during the Arab Spring.

“Youth is a vital force of society. We need a paradigm shift: we must take charge of our own destinies as Africans. We must be able to have regional integration. Young people must be given opportunities, to be exposed, to get experience. We are at the forefront of changing Africa and the world. We support what happened in Tunisia. We will continue to fight for economic freedom to change the situation of youth in Africa”, said Mr. Ben Duntoye, President of the Pan African Youth Union.

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In response to this crisis, four organizations are joining forces to support national governments in

EGYPT; ILO AND CIDA LAUNCHED A NEW JOINT PROJECT TO TACKLE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT.

2011-10-18T18:30:00.000+03:00

“Decent Jobs for Egypt’s Young People: Tackling the Challenges Together”

ILO DWT for North Africa/
ILO Country Office for Egypt,
Eritrea and Sudan

CAIRO (ILO NEWS) - The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) launched a 10 million CAD$ joint project entitled “Decent Jobs for Egypt’s Young People: Tackling the Challenges Together” under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Ahmed ElBorei, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Egypt.

The Joint ILO/CIDA project aims at increasing decent employment opportunities for young men and women, especially vulnerable groups, through capacity building and skills development.

The Canadian International Development Agency will financially support the project with a contribution of 10 million CAD$ (roughly 9.8 million US$). The Government of Egypt has agreed to commit US$ 5 million available through the Social Fund, which can be used by young entrepreneurs to launch entrepreneurial activities.

Summits, Conferences, Meetings, Workshops, Seminars - So What?

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000+03:00

Source: Google/ Adams50

When you perform a search online about youth development work today, more often than not, activities that will spring up from the search performed are summits, conferences, meetings, workshops, seminars and the like. Has youth development as an agenda been concluded as the stuff of "congregation at table sides" or "big meeting halls"? Have the resources that have grown ever more precious for youth oriented activities found little else to focus on other than paying for expensive travel tickets and huge daily subsistence allowances? And what if anything does this investment bring to the furtherance of the youth development agenda, not just in Africa, but the rest of the world too?

We ask today on Connect African Development Blog as a continuation of our focus on African Youth Development in 2011; Summits, Conferences, Meetings, Workshops, Seminars - all this for what?

Youth Development as a concept and a process demands for continuous engagement of the primary beneficiaries.

ICASA 2011 Youth Front Call for Application and TOR Youth Journalists and Spokepeople.

2011-10-17T17:10:00.001+03:00

English

The ICASA 2011 Youth Front is seeking for Youth Journalists and Spokespeople among the confirmed youth participants to ICASA 2011 and those who could secure their attendance. The selected young people will have to play a great role in terms of communication of youth issues and messages during the Youth Pre-conference (1- 3 December 2011) and the main conference (4 - 8 December 2011).

Read the Terms of Reference (TORs) and Call for Application in English below and submit your applications before 10 November2011, 00:00h GMT to icasa2011yfcom@gmail.com.

Terms of Reference and Application Form - Young Journalists

Terms of Reference and Application Form - Spokespeople

For any further information feel free to contact us and stay updated on ICASA Youth Front activities by joining our Facebook Page: ICASA 2011 Youth Front and following us in twitter: ICASAYouthFront.

Share this message with your networks TODAY!

French

ICASA 2011 Youth Front est à la recherché de Jeunes Journalistes et Porte-parole parmi les jeunes participants confirmés pour ICASA 2011 ou ceux pouvant financer leur participation. Les jeunes qui seront sélectionnés devront

The Network of African Youths for Development; networking the African youth potential.

2011-10-17T17:00:00.000+03:00

What is NAYD?

NAYD Logo

Network of African Youths for Development (NAYD) is an emerging regional nonprofit youth platform in Africa initiated by young professional volunteers from all over Africa aiming at promoting youth empowerment, leadership, mainstreaming youth policies and the Millennium Development Goals among others. Established in 2006, NAYD is working to enable youth focused and youth led organizations to network in the field of development and work together to achieve common goals. Currently, NAYD is connecting hundreds of youth-led projects and organizations across Africa through its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Quite obvious, NAYD operates in a situation whereby intermingled difficulties and resource shortages exist within countries, with millions of marginalized youth and diverse challenges that remain unaddressed. Thus, the network endeavors to be clear in its direction and operations, more than anything else, to ensure institutional sustainability.

Youth Led-Development in Africa – are you taking action? start here!

2011-10-17T09:00:00.000+03:00

Author: Pochi Tamba Nsoh, Cameroon

African Education Initiative/ NAYD

At the start of the UN International Year of Youth in August 2010, UN Focal Point on Youth Nicola Shepherd stated "The International Year is about advancing the full and effective participation of youth in all aspects of society". With the world talking about the UN Year of the youth, I think there is no better time for any African youth leading a development organization to take a pause and look behind. How far have we come? What was our take-off point and what again is our destination.

Varied reports from the World Bank, UNDP, IMF, and UNICEF show that more than half of the population living South of the Sahara live in absolute poverty or on a purchasing power parity of less than USD 1 per day. And the millions of youths that Africa counts, form a good part of these poor people, and this despite the many decades of youth involvement in development. Recently, a friend celebrated 15years of youth-led development. On that occasion, I tried to sample opinions among the youths I know have been in the business of development and was amazed at what I found. Really many young people are working for a better health care, human rights conditions, social welfare situation etc.

The International Youth Sector - Mapping and Directory; an important tool to have!

2011-10-17T05:17:00.001+03:00

The Open Society Foundations commissioned a mapping of the International Youth Sector in 2009. We went through the Mapping and Directory Document produced and found it a wealth of information. As we prepare to outline our mission for the rest of the year in pushing the Youth Development Agenda on the Continent, we have seen this as an important resource to share with you.

To read more about this exercise, visit the;

Fostering Peace and Security in West Africa: Meet The Youth Partnership for Peace and Development – Sierra Leone

2011-10-16T18:30:00.000+03:00

Who we are

YDDP Logo

The Youth Partnership for Peace and Development - Sierra Leone (YPPD-SL) www.yppdatwork.org is a voluntary and non-profit youth-led development organization working directly with development partners across the world. Established in 2005, the organisation is staffed by a group of young proactive youths who are convinced that development does not lie in the hands of the elderly alone, but also in those of the youths.

The overarching goal of YPPD is to contribute to the endeavors of supporting youth development, peaceful conflict resolution, stability and sustainable development and peace and democracy in Sierra Leone. YPPD works to increase the capacity of vulnerable groups through training, partnership, advocacy, enhancing youth knowledge base and equipping them with livelihood skills. It is a platform for diverse kinds of actions committed to engaging key stakeholders at different levels of development across the country.

With our vision, we develop insight from the daily struggles of our fellow young people who are marginalized and voiceless in the communities they live in. This initiative is entirely managed for and by young people in Sierra Leone, which we consider as a novelty in the lives of every young person trying to make a change.

ASRH, HIV Prevention Youth Best Practices AWARDS 2011 Announcement (30 September 2011)

2011-10-16T14:00:00.000+03:00

SAYM Logo

The Southern Africa Youth Movement, serving as the secretariat for Africa Youth and Adolescent Network on Population and Development (AfriYAN) in Eastern and Southern Africa is seeking to award network members organisations showing outstanding Adolescent, Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) and HIV best practices for young people. The objective is to encourage critical thinking and programming while rewarding youth efforts and promoting innovation designing of youth-specific responses around ASRH and HIV and AIDS Prevention.

Summary

AfriYAN Logo

AfriYAN Eastern and Southern Africa secretariat will make available ASRH, HIV and AIDS Prevention documents for download by network members, other youth organizations and website visitors. AfriYAN network members should submit ASRH and HIV best practices using a template to be provided online and based on these, deserving youth organizations will be granted the award.

Submitted best practices will also be made public after the awards to allow for broad sharing. The intervention will maximize the internet by using social sites such as Facebook and twitter to reach the target group. This will be linked with the 16th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) meeting. Furthermore link with World Aids Day whereby we will provide capacity building interventions as a way to mitigate identified gaps with the national networks with regard to programming, designing and implementation and continue the dissemination and vulgarization of the African youth Charter and the AU Plan of Action for the Decade (2009-2018).

The African Youth Panel Holding an Extra-Ordinary Members Summit in Addis, 30th October - 1st November 2011

2011-10-16T13:36:00.000+03:00

AYP Logo

The African Youth Panel (AYP) is planning to hold the second Members Extra-Ordinary Summit in Addis from 30th October to 1st November 2011. The summit will coincide with the commemoration of the African Youth Day, which is marked each year on 1st November. The Summit, being held under the theme “Youth participation, networking and strengthening capacity for Sustainable Development in Africa” will bring together members of the panel from across Africa to review progress in the institutionalization of the panel and deliberate on ideas for a strategic framework and activities for a specific period to be agreed. The African Youth Panel was established in 2008 as an advisory body to the Africa Commission set up by the Danish Government.

What is Africa's Position on Youth Development?

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000+03:00

As Published on African Union Youth Program Website.

Source: African Youth Website

About 65% of the total population of Africa are below the age of 35 years, and over 35% are between the ages of 15 and 35 years - making Africa the most youth full continent. By 2020, it is projected that out of 4 people, 3 will be on average 20 years old. About 10 million young African youth arrive each year on the labor market. The African Union envisions and is striving for an integrated African economic social, cultural and political development agenda: A prosperous Africa at peace with itself and its partners.

Clearly an emergent and integrated Africa can be fully realized only if its demographic advantage – large population of youth – is mobilized and equipped to help drive Africa’s integration, peace and development agenda. This vision emanates from the belief and conviction that a strong and accountable leadership and successful integration needs to be anchored on participation of the key segment of the population of which the Youth are an essential pillar.

Against the foregoing and in light of, the great potential, dynamism, resourcefulness, resiliency, and aspiration of African youth, the continent continues to face daunting challenges of maximizing benefits from this critical social capital by for example, adequately investing in its growth and enrichment.

We are now LIVE; Lets CONNECT!

2011-10-15T14:46:00.001+03:00

The CAD Blog is now Live. We thank you for the encouragement and support in getting here.

We begin with a recognition of the work done in implementing the programme around the International Year of Youth, August 2010 to 2011. All across the World, youth development was on the agenda and Africa was equal to the task. Two continental Youth Forums were held, three Heads of States Summit's were also held with a focus on young people where on one occasion, a momentous agreement was passed in support of the African Youth Charter and the Decade on Youth Plan.

As we take flight, we are dedicating the rest of 2011 to focus on Youth Development in Africa. We will be taking stock of the actions and outcomes of the International Year of Youth processes in Africa, the implementation of the recent agreements and programmes, and publish articles and information on youth led organizations and programmes, projects and activities on the ground.

We believe development efforts across the continent, especially on youth development, have a common purpose. We are here to Connect that Purpose.

We have a lot of tools on the Blog...Click Here to find out more of what they are and how you can use them.

CAD Blog Launch Time and Google+ Hangout Time

2011-10-10T15:00:00.000+03:00

For those wondering aboutthe times, here is the interpretation:

BlogLaunch:

It will be at 12:00UTC. This means 15:00pm in EastAfrica and also Cairo, Egypt, 14:00in Nigeria and Johannesburg.

Google+Hangout after the launch:

It will be from 13:00 to 14:00 UTC. This means 16:00to 17:00 in East Africa, 15:00 to16:00 in Nigeria and Johannesburg.

We are sure with this you will be able to identifythe time for your region or country. If you are still struggling, click here; TheWorld Clock – Time Zones.

We cannot wait to connectwith you.

Editorial Team.

Join us for a Google+ Hangout on 15th October

2011-10-10T07:00:00.000+03:00

This exciting...we are edging closer and closer tothe big day. Now there are new plans in place. Between 13:00 and 14:00hrs UTC time on October 15th 2011, our Head Editorwill be hosting A GOOGLE+ HANGOUT to meet with interestedreaders, prospective contributors and others to answer questions, discuss theconcept and basically enjoy the launch of the Blog.

The link to the Google+ Hangout will be availableat least 1 hour for you all to check in and at 13:00hrs, we will begin.

If you do not know what a Google+ Hangout is,please click here for moreinformation and get ready to join us.

EditorialTeam.

African Youth Charter Experts Meeting; November 1st – 2nd 2011

2011-10-08T12:30:00.000+03:00

AfricanYouth Charter: Its Potential, Its Limitations

The African Union and Open SocietyFoundations willbe conducting an experts meeting to explore the strengths and weaknesses of theAfrican Youth Charter (AYC), which aims to accelerate youth development on thecontinent. The event will take place on November 1^st to 2^nd and is part of a week-long AfricanYouth Festival in Addis Abba, Ethiopia.

Themeeting will bring together young people, academics, and experts in the youthsector and in international law to discuss the challenges, successes, and nextsteps for agencies and young people engaged in advocacy around the continent onthe implementation of the AYC.

Rationale

Interestin African youth development has surged in recent years due to the increasingyouth population on the continent. A wide range of actors including the AU,United Nations agencies and the General Assembly, governments, NGOs,corporations, and civil society groups are amongst those encouraging investmentin the advancement of young people. Yet there has been little analysis ofwhether the African Youth Charter is an

A National Youth Composite Policy Index – the need for a comprehensive, quality measure for youth policies in Africa.

2011-10-07T18:00:00.000+03:00

The article examines the state of youthpolicies on the African continent. It discusses the situation from theperspective of having a functional national youth policy and implementationframework. It observes how challenges young people face should be reflected inyouth policies and how that in-turn can inform a more robust coordinationmechanism for youth policy implementation. It finalizes by suggesting how aYouth Composite Policy Index can be used as a tool to develop more integrated,comprehensive and cross-sectoral youth policies.

Youth Policies in Africa

African Youth Forum, 2011

August 2010 to August 2011 was the InternationalYear of Youth. The voices, concerns and renewed commitment amongst young peopleto transform their countries, regions and the continent of Africa were strongand unified. We saw this in young people’s resolve behind ground breaking peacebuilding, employment creation, health promotion, poverty eradication,leadership and democracy building, and good governance programs across thecontinent. It is but imperative that these efforts be met with an enabling andsupportive policy environment that nurtures, encourages, recognizes andsupports these efforts.

In 2006, a momentous Charter

The Time is Now: Reflections on Africa's Demographic Transition

2011-10-07T05:35:00.000+03:00

Published on FairObserver; 19 September 2011

A reflection on Africa’s burgeoning potential.

SOURCE: CREATIVE COMMONS/ FLICKR/COCA-COLA SOUTH AFRICA

The demographicdividend discussion is broad and encompasses a variety of disciplines. If onereviews the diverse literature on the subject, its most common aspect is theidea that some countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa, may well bethe exception to the rule. The focus presented here will not be on thearithmetic around “the demographic dividend” subject, but rather on theimplications of poor policy decisions in some countries in Africa as viewedfrom a young person’s perspective.

As a young development actor, privileged with the experience ofinteractions with similar and exceptional actors from across the continent, Ibelieve our call is analogous – that the time is now for African countries toact collectively to take deliberate and sustainable actions that will ensurethe impending demographic transition is met by effective policies,institutions, and opportunities on the ground to realize the demographicdividend to its fullest potential.

What exactly isthis demographic dividend?

Our Focus at Connect African Development.

2011-10-06T04:49:00.006+03:00

Welcome again.

We are edging closer and closer to the launch date and at this time, we thought it is important to reveal the issues or the focus areas, if you will, of this Blog. We know that the list of issues we can focus on is immense, but after careful and lengthy consideration, we have decided on the following. What we hope, at least, is that the list is as broad as possible for all actors in the development arena across the continent to find an area of identify and a home to communicate with others whilst on Connect African Development - CAD.

Our list is as follows;

The CAD Blog to be Launched on 15th October, 2011

2011-09-23T12:00:00.000+03:00

Its official. The Connect African Development Blog will be launched on 15th October 2011. The time will be 12:00 noon UTC time.

It is an exciting time as we move closer and close to this date. Our articles are coming in, organizations are sending information and interest is building. We can not wait. Book the date today and don't miss this important occasion.

We will continue to update you on new developments and important information pertinent to the launch. We are all excited, we hope you are too.

See you soon in cyberspace.

Editorial Team.

The Connect African Development Forum on the Blog

2011-09-20T21:45:00.002+03:00

So, one of the features on this Blog, which we believe will become most exciting, is the Forum. To visit the Forum page, hover your mouse to the top of the Home page and click on the CAD Forum page assignment. This will take you to a static page on the Blog that has been assigned to house the CAD Forum platform.

How to Use the Forum

This Platform is quite easy to use...that is why we chose the Nabble Service that is powering it. To begin interacting on this Forum, hover to the top right of the Forum page and click on Register. User is required to Register if they are expecting to interact with other users by posting and replying to topics. The registration process is easy and fast.

When the registration is complete, you are set. You can now engage in discussion.

Engaging in Discussion

So you are registered and are ready to begin. You will be pleased to know that your friends and colleagues
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Welcome to Connect African Development; A Blog with a difference.

2011-09-20T19:57:00.001+03:00

Greetings and welcome to Connect African Development. We hope your visit now and again will be that of a difference in both your work and in the people you reach and interact with as you spend your time here.

Blogs have been a source of alternative information in our view for close to a decade now, putting the power in the hands of normal individuals such as you and me to make a difference in our communities and the world. They have now grown to develop multifaceted faces, and some are making a difference in ensuring access to important information and giving those otherwise without, a voice.

Connect African Development is envisioned to continue such a role, by providing a platform where development actors from all walks of life on the continent can access information, connect with other actors by also sharing, publicizing their work, connecting and engaging in dialog with other actors.

CAD Forum

This is a Blog with a difference. Not only will you be able to read interesting articles and information on different organizations across the continent and their work - you are also offered a Forum to populate with deliberations. The design of the forum is such that actors, development organizations, researches and others can all meet to start dialogue, run consultations, conduct surveys, share findings, publicize activities and events and much more. There is no limit. Choose from 5 Sub Forum Areas of discussion and begin your topic today.

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