The AU consists of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African continent. One of its objectives is to “to promote democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance”. At the core of democracy is representation, particularly inclusive representation. Yet, Africa’s largest demographic remains one of the most under-represented in decision-making roles in governance. For leadership to thrive and be responsive in a democracy, inclusion is non-negotiable. In guaranteeing inclusion, certain significant groups of people must be considered, such as youth, women, people with disabilities and minorities.
The AU African Youth Charter affirms that Africa's youth are its biggest resource, with enormous potential as it continues to grow. The AU’s Agenda 2063 states that: “The creativity, energy and innovation of Africa’s youth shall be the driving force behind the continent’s political transformation.” The AU is strategically positioned to lead the charge in ensuring that African governments commit to a percentage of youth representation (including young women) in every national and sub-national cabinet, alongside its other efforts to enhance youth political participation.
The powder keg of under-represented youth
Inter-generational collaboration is vital for national development, as each demography brings a unique value to the decision-making table. While some countries like Namibia have shown commitment to youth participation in political decision-making to some degree, it should not be left to each African country to decide if they will be youth-inclusive or not.
Excluding youths from decision-making roles in politics can have disastrous societal consequences including upheavals, crime, disruptive national protests, widespread youth unemployment and terrorism. Terrorism often has its roots in social and political grievances, and youths who feel excluded from the political process may be more vulnerable to extremist ideologies. Additionally, youth exclusion can create a sense of marginalization and discontent that festers into a powder keg of anger, leading to the eruption of civil conflicts that threaten the fabric of society.
Youth advocacy groups and civil society have consistently clamoured for enhanced youth political participation in African countries. Some of these groups include YIAGA Africa, which spearheaded Nigeria’s ‘Not Too Young to Run’ Movement, various Global Shapers Community Hubs like Nigeria's Abuja Hub, the National Youth Leadership Conference (NYLC), etc. Across the continent, youth activists have also demonstrated exceptional
leadership in championing political reform movements; for example, Y’en a Marre in Senegal, Filimbi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Balai Citoyen in Burkina Faso.
While these organizations and movements have made laudable efforts in promoting the youth leadership cause, these efforts have not yielded the large-scale representational
spread that Africa urgently needs. Furthermore, since the bottom-up approach in engaging African governments has not yielded widespread results, it behooves advocates to develop and deploy other strategies such as a top-down approach, where pressure on African governments to include youths comes from the regional level.
Posts
