The Inaugural All Africa Youth Congress was flagged off on Wednesday by the Ghana Minister For Youth and Sports Hon. Mustapha Ussif (MP).
Hon. Ussif who represented H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo the President of the Republic of Ghana said there is need to have the youth informed enough to make decisions at the policy level and allow them to have transformative ideas that can be leveraged to better the economic and social standing of Africa as a whole.
He added that the youth’s potential will only be realized if governments invest in their education, health, skills, and empowerment, as well as provide them with a safe environment in which to make aforementioned decisions.
“These investments are required basic conditions for Africa to capitalize on the youth demographic,” said the minister.
The General Secretary of the All-African Conference of Churches Rev Fidon Mwobeki spoke to the fact that the youth are the future. “The youth need to get equipped with the necessary tools to have them lead pioneering activities across Africa which will then led to sustainable development,” he said.
The Chairperson of the Christian Council of Ghana and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Most Rev, Dr.Paul K Boafo, gave remarks that were aligned to climate justice movement for the youth and their involvement. “I see youth in the congress who are ready to champion the bid to a clean and greener Africa.”
The congress which is set to take place all week long from the 31st of October to the 5th of November 2022 at the Pentecostal Convention Centre in Kasoa, Ghana has attracted over 1000 youth from across Africa.
The congress will be focusing on four thematic areas, namely;
- Youth and African Patriotism – where the youth will celebrate African arts, culture, and heritage. This session will also focus on the education system that decolonizes the African youth while unlocking their potential for innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation.
- Active Citizenship – which will focus the youth on meaningful participation in governance, politics, and in major decision-making processes. It will further expose the youth to new generation of transparent and accountable Pan Africa leadership advocacy against corruption.
- Peace and Security – will focus on eradicating all forms of inequality and injustice that cause violent- conflicts in Africa. For example, topics such as mitigation of human trafficking, confronting climate change, silencing the guns, responding to debt crisis shall be discussed.
During his speech the minister thanked the organizers of the congress and indicated that this is a boundless initiative they have achieved to bring together the African Youth to not only discuss matters that affect them, but to garner innovative ideas that will inspire them to evoke sustainable development change in their respective countries.
The congress format has side events where youth are facilitating and participating on various thematic areas.
The Pan African Climate Justice alliance hosted two side events where Mr Charles Mwangi, the head of programmes took participants through the framing of climate justice conversations within a loss and damage lens and Climate Finance.