has kicked off with a slew of topics being discussed in and around the table. The conference is being attended by youth from many nations, the biggest coming from Nigeria and Ghana. I noted and it was also stated during the opening of the conference that the ratio between francophones and anglophones was very wide, seeing a greater portion of anglophones present at the conference. One recommendation for the next conference is to ensure that there is a balance of anglophone youth and francophone youth.
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Dialogue and Mutual Understanding" is the theme of the Conference and from the opening session, several points have been made:
o Solutions to Africa’s problems should come from within and this is something the AYG believes and strives for in this conference.
o Investing in the youth is important and something each government should implement in their agendas.
The Ghana's National Youth Authority states that there are a lot of opportunities for the youth in Ghana:
o There is a high level of commitment from the Ghanaian government to the youth agenda.
o There is also a high level of youth participation in NGOs that aim to increase youth mobilization.
o The Ghanian government is streamlining the youth agenda into its own agenda, and;
o The African Youth Charter has been ratified by Ghana.
The President and CEO of TV3 said that it was essential that those living in the Diaspora and those who have lived outside their countries, come back and share their experiences with everyone at home.
Towards the closing of the session, a question was posed to the group as to, "What is the role of the youth in the development of Africa?" and "What kind of solutions do we want to see?". Some of the things discussed were:
• The youth want to see African solutions being applied in Africa.
• Investment in Youth development should be an important policy for every government.
• The Youth should share what they’ve learned with others back at home.
More to come..
