Building a Pan African Youth-led Movement

To convene youth led networks into a vision-building process for a Pan-African movement that can drive a common agenda for youth;

To build cohesion and collective enquiry about the purpose of the movement with partners;

To create individual and collective next steps and commitments after the launch of the youth-led movement

To connect youth networks on a digital platform which will enable them to build synergies and share knowledge

Objectives

The power of terminology -Network

• Definition - A group of people who exchange information and contacts for professional or social purposes.

• The Network Effect is a phenomenon where increased numbers of people or participants improves the value of a good or service

• Examples of networks

• Young President's Organisation (YPO)

• African Leadership Network

• Organisation of African Youth (AOYouth)

• West African Youth Network

• South African Youth Leaders Network

• Venture Network

The power of terminology -Movement

• Definition - a group of people working together to advance their shared political, social, or artistic ideas.

• Usually underpinned by socio-political tensions

• Examples of movements

• The 1976 Soweto Uprising

• Arab Spring

• FeesMustFall

• Anti-gun movement in the USA

The Graça Machel Trust and Mandela Institute for Development Studies initiated a conversation with twenty-seven organisations working in youth empowerment to:• understand the challenges faced by

youth networks • identify opportunities for greater

collaboration among youth networks

Fifteen network representatives attended a two-day workshop in Johannesburg on the 2&3 August 2017.

This raised the following issues:

August 2017

Common Themes in Youth Work

What attracted youth to participate in development programs?

Common reasons for collaboration among youth networks

Top 3 needs of youth networks

Limits to the growth of youth networks

Barriers to achieving vision

GMT and MINDS continued the conversation with the networks working in the youth empowerment sector.

Thirty networks convened to craft the vision mission and objectives for a Pan African youth-led movement.

To establish the need for a youth movement in Africa we asked the network representatives 3 questions:

May 2018

What's working in youth empowerment?

• Small focused networks• Selection of young leaders• Advocating for policy change• Use of role models• Internal locus of control• Diversity of skills• Networks which link members to essential

resources • Impact in smaller communities

What's not working in youth empowerment?

• Domestication of knowledge• “Circular networks” – same faces – exclusive• Networks operating in silos• Short-term thinking• Tokenism• Lack of communication• Limited funding• Language barriers• Quality over quantity• Credibility• Sustainability• Powerful impact• Lack of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms• Market access• Clarity on vision and strategy• Governments which are not committed to implementing

youth strategies

What can be achieved by establishing a youth-led movement?

• Leverage resources• Scaling up• Transformation• Access to other networks• Add value for each other• Create an African value proposition• Benefit of collaboration• Map the entire problem in youth leadership• Create impact• Innovation• Shorten learning curve• Funding• Transform Africa• Legacy• Empower youth• Global influence• African Identity• Amplifying our voices• Sharing strategies• Responding to complex challenges and systems• Campaign – movements to scale• Changing harmful cultural practices

Progress update and next steps ahead

Inaugural Meeting

2016

First Workshop

To connect youth networks

August 2017

Second Workshop: To defining Vision &

Mission and preparing for July Summit

May 2018

Launch of digital platform to connect

networks

Launch of African Youth Led Movement

July 2018

Real work starts

Building a Pan African Youth-led Movement

Mapping of the movement’s past and future activities

• 2018 marks the centenary celebrations for Late President Nelson Mandela

• Looking forward to the next 100 years with Youth networks from the continent

• 300-350 representatives from youth networks gather in Johannesburg

• Build a common agenda to define the priority and strategy of the movement

July 2018

Vision, Mission and Values

• Vision: A transformed Africa that fosters dignity, peace and abundance for all it’s people.

• Mission: Collaboration of African youth networks with a shared vision to amplify their voices and impact.

• Values: Solidarity, inclusivity and diversity, equity, youthagency,

Beyond July – the first year’s activities

• Establish a digital platform able to meet the needs of the network (starting with Facebook Workplace and migrating to a dedicated platform as soon as funding available).

• Initiate continent wide research partnerships to gather and collate up-to-date data on trends in the youth empowerment to guide the network.

• Train 15 youth leaders from across the continent in basic facilitation skills which enable them to run network building activities in their respective countries.

• Mentor, support and coach 15 youth leaders from across the continent on a monthly basis to support them in growing the movement.

• Facilitate 2 day workshops of 30-40 people in at least 4 other African countries to bring other youth networks and partners on board (East, West, North, Central and Southern).

The following networks were represented in our workshops

• Organisation of African Youth• Africa 2.0• African Leadership Institute• Pan African Youth Network for Culture of

Peace• Youth Hub Africa• West African Youth Network• Young African Leaders Initiative Southern

Africa• Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa• The African Network of Youth Policy Experts• African Youth Mentorship Network• She Leads Africa• Pan African Youth League• Children's Radio Foundation• African Youth Commission

• Young Advocates for Inclusion Network (YAIN TRUST)

• Women and Aviation• African Leadership Academy• Omidyar Network • Pioneer Nova Academies • Mandela Washington Fellows Alumni Council • Ongoza Youth • Mandela Rhodes Foundation • MLab Southern Africa• Columba Leadership Academy• Mawazo Institute• Buffelshoek Trust • Primedia / Radio 702• Southern African Trust• Yes4youth: President Ramaphosa’s youth

employment initiative