Context
In our rapidly evolving world, the interplay between science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation is crucial for shaping future generations. Advancements in these fields are vital for addressing urgent global challenges such as climate change, health crises, and energy sustainability. Providing robust STEM education equips young people with the skills to contribute to these advancements. Africa’s youth are navigating a landscape where digital literacy and technology access are increasingly critical, yet disparities in infrastructure and economic opportunities persist. This event will explore how North-South digital cooperation can bridge these gaps, empowering young Africans to become innovators and leaders while addressing key regional challenges with scalable, context-specific digital solutions.
Innovation serves as a vital catalyst for societal progress. It drives economic growth and social change by creating new opportunities and enhancing competitiveness. Fostering a culture of creativity and problem-solving among youth is crucial for developing resilience and adaptability—traits that are indispensable for addressing future challenges and leveraging emerging opportunities. By nurturing innovative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit, we empower the next generation to lead progress and solve complex problems.
In the digital era, global cooperation has become more feasible and necessary. Digital platforms facilitate the sharing of resources, expertise, and data across borders, significantly boosting our collective capacity to tackle global issues. Through international collaboration, knowledge exchange, and joint problem-solving, we can devise more effective solutions and promote inclusive growth. As digital technologies increasingly permeate daily life, developing digital literacy is essential. Ensuring that young people possess the skills to use, create, and critically assess digital tools and content is crucial for their personal and professional success. Digital literacy also empowers individuals to navigate the online world responsibly and safeguard their privacy.
Promoting equity and inclusion within science, technology, and innovation is key to building a more just society. Addressing disparities in education and resources helps to bridge gaps, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, can engage with and benefit from technological advancements. Initiatives that champion diversity and inclusion within STEM fields and digital industries lead to more comprehensive and equitable solutions for global challenges.
Furthermore, integrating science, technology, and innovation into educational curricula and training programs is vital for preparing future leaders. Collaborative efforts among educational institutions, industry, and governments can create robust pathways for skill development and career readiness. Partnerships between countries and organizations also facilitate the exchange of best practices, enhancing the quality of education and training on a global scale.
In summary, shaping future generations through science, technology, innovation, and digital cooperation requires a multifaceted approach. This includes advancing education and skills, fostering equity and inclusion, and leveraging collaborative platforms. Investing in these areas empowers young people to drive progress, address global challenges, and contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future. This thematic focus underscores the significance of these elements in preparing the next generation to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Guiding Questions
How can North-South digital cooperation bridge the digital divide and enhance technology access and digital literacy among the youth?
What actionable strategies can effectively promote gender equity and diversity within technology and STEM fields, ensuring equal opportunities for all young innovators?
In what ways can youth-led digital innovation projects be scaled up and seamlessly integrated into national and regional policy frameworks to drive sustainable impact?
How can cross-regional partnerships be strategically utilized to amplify the potential of African youth in driving technological advancements and entrepreneurial growth?
Target Audience
The target audience includes over 200 youth advocates, digital innovators, policymakers with a focus on STEM education, technology entrepreneurs, and development agencies focused on capacity building in the digital age. Specific attention will be given to those working in intergovernmental digital cooperation, regional development organizations, and private sector companies interested in investing in Africa's digital transformation.
Methodology
The Youth Café, in collaboration withthe World Food Forum (WFF), UN Office of Human Rights, the Global Democracy Coalition, will host the virtual side event "Shaping Future Generations through Science, Technology, Innovation, and Digital Cooperation." This event will leverage a sophisticated virtual platform to facilitate a dynamic and interactive experience. It will feature a blend of expert presentations, thematic panel discussions, and targeted breakout sessions focusing on key areas such as gender and digital inclusion, as well as intergenerational dialogue. Through the integration of case studies and workshops, the event will showcase successful initiatives and collaborative solutions, aiming to address systemic barriers and enhance digital equity for youth. Real-time captioning and translation services will ensure accessibility, while The Youth Café's extensive digital network will drive broad engagement through strategic outreach and promotion. This approach is designed to foster a collaborative environment that inspires actionable solutions and promotes meaningful dialogue.
About The Youth Cafe
The Youth Café (TYC) is Africa's leading network of professionals dedicated to harnessing youth advocacy, policy, and research to drive transformative socio-economic impact across the continent. As a youth-led organization, TYC empowers marginalized young people by promoting sustainable development, advancing social equity, and fostering innovation across Africa. With over a decade of experience, TYC has cultivated an expansive network of over 3,500 member organizations, 1,200 experts, and nearly one million individual members, making it a catalyst for large-scale, meaningful change. Its broad membership enables The African Youth Cafe to fill the role of incubator and trusted center of excellence for best practices, tools, and standards for youth development. TYC operates across six critical sectors—Democracy, Human Rights and Governance; Education; Economic Growth; Health and Wellbeing; Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability; and Talent Development and Innovation—where it advocates for systemic reforms while co-designing contextually relevant solutions with young people, ensuring their voices and experiences inform policies and programs at every level.
The African Youth Cafe has worked with its members to contribute to the Global Youth Policy Paper on the Summit for the Future and organized over 12 virtual and physical consultations on the Summit for the Future, reaching over 100,000 young people in the past months. Consequently, we submitted the draft policy paper to the co-facilitators as collective youth inputs to the zero draft of the Pact for our Future and the submission has been acknowledged- thanks to hundreds of young people from across Africa who have contributed to the process.
Similarly, The African Youth Cafe is engaging African youth, developing policy briefs, conducting research pieces on the process for the Declaration on Future Generations (DFG) which is a track running in parallel/conjunction with the Summit of the Future.
Apart from that, over the last several weeks, The Youth Café initiated a survey to ensure that Africa’s young people have a meaningful role in shaping the policies, systems, and strategies that will guide the continent's path until 2100. We aim to create an inclusive platform where the insights of Africa’s future leaders would be captured, ensuring that the strategic decisions being made today are aligned with the aspirations of tomorrow’s generation. This survey represents a first step in a broader effort to engage the youth in shaping Africa’s future and responding to the unique challenges and opportunities the continent will face in the coming decades.
The survey report summarizes the key themes and findings from the survey, providing a comprehensive overview of the drivers, trends, shocks, and disruptions that Africa’s youth believe will shape the continent’s future. Through this participatory approach, we hope to contribute to a more inclusive and strategic narrative for Africa, one that acknowledges the diverse voices of the next generation while ensuring that their perspectives are reflected in decision-making processes across the continent.
TYC’s impact is significantly enhanced through strategic partnerships with leading global organizations, including the World Food Forum (WFF), the United Nations Human Rights Office, the Global Democracy Coalition (GDC). The WFF, a specialized United Nations agency, is committed to achieving global food security and ensuring access to high-quality, nutritious food. TYC’s collaboration with the World Food Forum advances initiatives in sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climate adaptation, while also promoting youth involvement in these critical areas. The partnership with Germany further strengthens TYC’s efforts in driving transformative change and fostering innovation. Engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Office integrates essential human rights perspectives into TYC’s projects. Additionally, partnerships with the Global Democracy Coalition. Collectively, these alliances bolster TYC’s mission to create a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for Africa’s youth.