51³Ô¹Ï

On 30th January 2017, the 6th 51³Ô¹Ï Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, began with a call to action by 51³Ô¹Ï (UN) Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres, who urged young people to speak up and share their stories.

You inspire change and this forum is interactive, we want to hear from you. Tell us how the 51³Ô¹Ï can see the world from your perspective ¨C and answer your concerns. You all have the talent, energy and ideals to prevent conflicts, defend human rights, secure peace and realize the??for Sustainable Development (¡­) Your messages will help create a safer and more stable world for all. See his entire message .

ECOSOC President Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava chipped in by stressing the importance of youth engagement in realizing the (SDGs).

It is your future we are building in implementing the 2030 Agenda. This is why we need you to play a role in shaping the world you will be living in.

The President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson also concurred, (¡­) Youth will have to be at the forefront of this transformation.

They couldn't have said it any better to set the tone for the interactive sessions that followed on important regional priorities for youth development. I had the privilege of attending the that was based on the theme 'Africa's Youth On the Rise! Harnessing Africa's Youth Dividend to Achieve Prosperity for All'. As proactive as the theme itself suggests, participants did not shy away from airing their views.

How can the education system be improved to facilitate youth inclusion to the employment system?

Think about it, how often have you heard a conversation about Africa, where the term 'education' didn't come up? Little to none right? Look at social media, international and state policy practice, you will find no shortage of this term.

During the discussion it became clear that education is not only a 'hot' topic, but one that inspires mixed feelings among many. Some participants proudly stated that the African educational system is excellent because it is founded on a good mix of the African cultural and value system and the Western value system from its colonial masters. Basically, it has the best of both worlds. The Pan-Africanists in the room, were of a slightly different opinion as they felt like there is a growing tendency to elevate Western value systems above local African ones, especially in academic scholarship and content, which is often biased towards the West. Their advice? Steer clear of neo-colonialism by re-investing into Africa's educational systems and recognizing and compensating efforts of teachers, lecturers and professors. Such a move would require a seamless partnership between the government, like the Ministries of Education, and educational institutions, particularly public ones.

Another critical point that was brought up about education was the need to tackle the issue of access to quality education. Most participants agreed that although public education has been subsidised, the quality has suffered. Several teachers and participants in the field of education suggested to move away from rote learning to education that is focussed on the development of critical thinking skills and incorporates technology-use. In this way, progress that is in tandem with the rapid pace of globalization can be achieved. Technology transfer is therefore critical to this endeavour.

After four gruelling years of hard work, you finally get that hard earned degree. You're bright, optimistic and prepared for the job market with your newly acquired credentials, but after some days, months and even years the excitement turns to dread, anxiety and panic! I have a degree but I can't find work! This is the reality that many African graduates face when they get into the job market. We refer to it as tarmacking: a situation in which graduates find themselves searching for job opportunities for lengthy durations. Some academics at the session attributed it to the fact that there is a huge knowledge gap in vocational skills, which are hardly if ever taught at educational institutions. This in turn leads to a general lack of creativity and innovation which would ignite the creation of employment opportunities, outside the conventional occupations. Integration of vocational skills learning into the curricula was touted as the best solution to this problem, which would create academic and social entrepreneurs. This was said in complete acknowledgement that entrepreneurship has become vital to job creation.

Funding, funding, funding! Can beggars actually be choosers?

While speaking about funding, participants drew from 's, message which called for partnerships between youth and all sectors of the society.

There was a general consensus that a lack of resources holds back youth development. Despite the existence of the African Youth Development Fund (AYDF), its effective operation requires the consent and financial commitment of heads of state. Unfortunately, given the realities in the face of other challenges like food security, poor health, water and sanitation, growing numbers of migrants, violent extremism, youth development often lags behind in the list of government priorities. The proposition was made that instead of channelling money to the AYDF, governments should provide tax incentives and regulatory policies for youth activities.

Additionally, new funding systems and channels especially within the private sector, should be promoted and created. Young entrepreneurs and activists were encouraged to move away from their over-reliance on the banking sector which places stringent and unattainable requirements for the provision of funds such as the availability of collateral or guarantors. To this, a participant from the private sector funding stream suggested that youth should take the lead in stating where funds ought to go. Additionally, they should be accountable and able to monitor projects they implement or undertake. The youth must create youth monitoring frameworks so as to build trust with donors.

Could?our young leaders please stand up?

The subject of governance never gets old in Africa and this statement can be taken literally! For many at the session, it was a topic that opened up old wounds. Participants at the session were in agreement that although good governance is gaining ground in Africa, it is happening at snail's pace. Attesting to this fact, one participant aptly pointed out, While it is a recognized fact that democracy and respect for human rights are the pinnacles of good governance the leadership style of some African leaders falls short of these standards¡­yet they claim to be democracies. Parallels were also drawn between governance and age. Questions such as; 'When will the older generation take a back seat in leadership? Will young people ever get the opportunity to lead?', were asked. Participants also identified poor governance characterised by corruption, dictatorship and tokenism as one of the greatest challenges to youth development. To this threat, a suggestion was made to return to Pan-African values such as unity in diversity, self-reliance and Afro-integration. One participant proposed, The only way out is to look in¡­look into Africa for solutions. We must prioritize our young people as leaders, after all, we?know the issues that affect us better than anyone else. In light of inward bound solutions, reference was also made to Dambisa Moyo's book, 'Dead Aid' which recommends redirection of investments into agriculture, backbone of many countries on the continent.

WE Power + Tangible Actions = Progressive Change

Ultimately, the two most powerful statements came from two participants who emphasised 'WE power' and 'tangible actions' respectively:

We need to start thinking independently... What can we as youth, do for ourselves? We must take the lead and be persistent. We must create and build our own leaders. We must not sit back and wait for hand-outs or assistance. We must take matters into our own hands and make ourselves the priority. However, when we get into leadership spaces, we must get rid of hypocrisy and sycophancy. We must not become complacent but must instead maintain and push for the same values and aspirations that we had, before receiving the positions. To achieve this, we must connect, network and learn from each other. We must be the change we want to get the Africa we want!

To be agents of progress we must change the tone of our conversations, we have to change the tone of these sessions otherwise it becomes a repetitive cycle. Presently, there is no mechanism to evaluate past targets set. All we want is a move away from false promises to concrete actions.

In my opinion, regional challenges faced by youth differ from global challenges they experience, due to divergent cultural and historical dispensations. Despite the weight that global frameworks may carry, it's often difficult to localize them. Interactive regional sessions such as these attest to the fact that the 51³Ô¹Ï is aware of this fact and is doing all it can to ensure that all voices are brought into the conversation. I will however offer some food for thought: at what point will we move from policy to implementation and practice and what measures will we use to evaluate set targets and hold individuals and institutions accountable?