DAY 2 OF ALL AFRICA YOUTH CONGRESS: PROMOTING YOUTH AND AFRICAN PATRIOTISM.
Over 2,000 youths drawn from across Africa have assembled at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) Kasoa, Accra, Ghana to witness the maiden All Africa Pan African Youth Congress organized by the All Africa Conference of Churches on the team Africa: My Home, My Future.
The Youths who came from across Africa landed at the Kotoku Airport Accra, Ghana and were received by the AAYC organizing team.
The official opening event kicked on the 1st of November with the arrival of delegates and special guests.
Flag trooping ceremony started with the host country Ghana, Angola, Benin Republic, Bostwana, Burkin Nafaso, Burundi, Congo, Cote D’ Voire, Cameroon, Chad, South Africa, Gabon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mozambique, Kenya, Liberia, Lesotho, Namibia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritus, Senegal, Rwanda, South Africa, Seirra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, United States of America, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Zambia, Gigunti, Gambia.
Climate Justice Torch launched by the African youth to commemorate Africa climate change due to green house effect. The ClimateYES2022 Campaign is an ongoing initiative of the Climate YES Movement launched on the 16th and 17th of September 2022 with its aim to provide an ecumenical platform for young people of Faith to unite and together raise their voices in addressing the triple planetary crisis. This campaign also provides an opportune moment for young people of faith to reflect on our common home and leverage the role of humanity to take care of nature whilst reflecting on the accounts of God’ creation.
Welcome address by Rt Rev Prof J. O. Y Mante Chairman Christian Council of Ghana and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana was represented by the Most Rev. Dr Paul K. Boafo. In his remark he appreciated the leadership of AACC for the vision to mobilize the youths of the continents to share best practices and create space for exhibition of creative talents and abilities and also for choosing Ghana to host the Maiden edition. He stated that the gathering affords us as Africans the opportunity to instill in our youth the core values of the Christian faith and to inspire in them the spirit of patriotism for our continent.
However, he stated the theme AFRICA, MY HOME, MY FUTURE indicating that we have come to inspire the youths of Africa to see our continent not just as a geographical location but as a HOME- A place where young ones like these youths receives inspiration, training, and nurture needed to make their lives worth living and to impact society in ways that will benefits generations. He further stated the 4 components of the Christian witness that can facilitate the building of a better Africa for and by our youth. They include spiritual witness, moral witness, social witness and environmental witness. He entreated all to work together to solve our problems in Africa and create opportunities for ourselves and others.
Key messages on behalf of the African Youths
For Africa to flourish, we need an empowered generation of young leaders ready to courageously lead movements that will reshape our continents and fulfill the dreams of our founding mothers and fathers. Africa is worried about the continued frustration about young people of the continents, which is being manifested in illegal migration of young people from the continent in a bid to reach Europe rather than remaining in Africa. These young people are not only migrating from Africa because of economic activities but many of them think that life will be better outside Africa. Truth be told, this is all because many of the young people lost hope and commitment to change Africa for the better and stay to succeed in it. They submitted to the congress without fear or contradiction that Africa is not where she is suppose to be, noting that Africa is greater by what we can see today. “We are careful in saying so because much was expected after so many countries got her political independence, yet less was delivered. We expected economic liberation, yet poverty still reigns, Political Stability, yet coups, civil, and political wars are almost everywhere, corruption has never been a new topic for many African nations. Many years after independence, most African leaders have had a selfish intention that benefits a few individual within their circles, (Africa Youths).”
Our dear African leaders, good leadership starts with everyone and everyone has a part to play in the quest for good governance within the confines of the constitution. We believe as youths, that our solution lies in character and goodwill. Good governance is a call for every state that wants liberation and deliberation is not waking up in the morning without chains; liberations for us as youth is waking up in the morning knowing we would produce bigger chains for the industries. Thus, Africa needs to invest in better technology, food security, good governance, and better job creation. Government needs to invest in such grounds and use other reclamation technology on other barren field. The globe is currently in a technological boom, we pray that Africa is not left behind in search advancement.
In conclusion, the youths said YES to the theme AFRICA: MY HOME, MY FUTURE noting the words of our ancestor Kwame Nkrumah “I am not Africa because I am born in Africa but because Africa was born in me”.
In his Keynote Address, General Secretary of AACC Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwobeki reiterated that the All Africa Youth Congress is a campaign for patriotism and not an organization. The theme, Africa: My Home, My Future.
Africa is my HOME, come rain or sunshine, east, west, north and south, home remains the best. Although, it is sad when we see some xenophobia within the continent, African turning against Africans within and outside Africa. Africa, all of Africa, is a home for all of us and it belongs to us together. Therefore we should see borders between countries as bothers with neighbors in the same village. Other places have more opportunities and life is easier but they are not my home, they are like a rich neighbor with a more beautiful house than mine. Thus, when your home is leaking and has cracks even in the remotes village or nighbourhood, people do not move to a neighbour with a better house, they simply must fix the roof or fill the cracks so they remain home they are proud to call their HOME.
Africa is my FUTURE. Africa is my future not because I am not wanted in other places but it is my future because there is indeed a tremendous development in the continent after independence and our future of prosperity because we have the needed resources. Consequently, if the youths aspire a prosperous future in Africa, they must make it happen. Thus, young people need to join forces to reach the aspirations of Agenda 2063, leading to the Africa we want-prosperous, integrated and peaceful Africa. We must commit to work and fight for a peaceful Africa anchored on reliable, sustainable and democratic leadership and must reject unconstitutional transfer of power, through active citizenship, vying for political position in your countries to change the course of history. Finally, he appealed to the young people of Africa to learn from the past, that the successful leaders of Africa in politics, in church life, in business, science, arts started when they were still young.
Hon Mustapha Ussif (MP), the minister for Youth and Sports Ghana opined that it is important to note that November 1st is designated as the Africa Youth Day by the African Youth Charter in 2006. The African Union Commission (AUC) has dedicated the month of November to celebrating the continent’s youth in recognition of the ravages of COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on all aspect of global economic, social, health and education systems. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Breaking the Barriers to Meaningful Youth Participation and Inclusion in Advocacy”.
The Africa Youth Day is a clarion call to all the youth development stakeholders in Africa to challenge the barriers to meaningful youth engagements which aims at bringing together youth under the auspices of the Pan African Youth Forum in order to amplify a unified youth movement to transform youth inclusion in Africa. Also, the 1 Million Next Level Initiative which is aimed to give young Africans direct possibilities in the areas of educations, employment, entrepreneurship, engagement, health and wellbeing. The program is built on Pan-Africanism, strategic alliances, African-centric innovation and solutions that are jointly developed and driven by Africa’s youth in order to build sustainable structures.
In conclusion, he encouraged the youths to take ownership of their own development and to challenge barriers to meaningful youth engagement at the congress, wherever and whenever they have the opportunity. He also declared the Maiden edition of the All African Youth Congress open.
In the main plenary 1 of the congress after the launch break, Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwobeki, General Secretary of AACC interacted with the delegates on promoting youth and Africa Patriotism based on the keynote address he delivered during the opening ceremony. One of the participants from Nigeria asked how youths can be Patriotic when they are not motivated by government. Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwobeki, responded that Patriotism start with the mindset of an individual adding that everything most not come from government but youths are also charged with the responsibility of being change agents of Africa thereby become a Patriotic African.
The delegates where placed into groups for in-depth knowledge of the theme promoting Youth and African Patriotism. The groups include Celebration of African Heritage through Arts and Culture, Embracing Youth in Cyber Technology and Development, Sports in Promoting Youth and African Patriotism, Young people’s involvement in Ecumenical Diakonia and Sustainable Development, Promoting a democratic culture through elections accountability: Youth Participation in Electoral Processes, Framing climate justice conversations with a loss and damage lens, Climate Finance and Domestic Resource Mobilization as an Alternative to Public Borrowing to Avoid New Debts.
Meanwhile, goodwill messages from partners such as Pan African for Climate Justice (PACJA), Council for World Mission (CWM), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Norwegian Church Aids (NCA), Tearfund and World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) including poems and, exhibition and free hour of interaction and relaxation, praise and worship and cultural evenings formed high point of day 2 of the congress.
By Emmanuel Koroma