Young people across the world are increasingly connected, using the internet and digital tools to build their communities, interact with other similar-minded people as well as advocate, express resistance, organize events and raise funds for causes they care about, claiming space and agency in their societies and adopting new forms of participation to make their voices heard and accounted for in relevant policies.

At the same time, young women and men find themselves inadequately represented within formal political structures, and demonstrate low rates of political involvement and political party participation, electoral activity or engagement in traditional civil society organizations. Across the globe, younger generations often feel disenfranchised and disillusioned with governing structures incapable of providing them with the opportunities and support they need.

One of the most important shifts of the 21st century has been moving from what used to be predominantly in-person activism to increasing action online and different forms of digital activism particularly with the onset of COVID-19, as curfews and physical distancing were enforced making people more dependent on digital tools to connect and communicate on both personal and societal levels.

While online activism has proved to be a powerful means of political mobilization, young people from indigenous communities, low income families, and persons with disability have limited access to media and secure platforms to channel their voices to policy-making institutions.

Therefore, it is important to have youth come together and find ways in which they can increase their civic participation hence contributing to good governance in this digital age and work towards fighting against corruption, a menace that has eroded the trust youth have in the systems and leaders, weakened democracy, hampered economic development and further exacerbated inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.

Government control over internet service, censoring of information flow, surveillance, spread of false information or disinformation has complicated civic activities and undermined trust and coordination within activist networks. What is clear, however, is that key emerging negative trends in the state of democracy and civic space, as well as the changing social and political contexts worldwide are calling for a greater emphasis on young people’s civic engagement into shaping peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

Public participation and civic space among the youth are at the heart of the work of The Youth Café, making it a priority area to not only partner and engage with organizations with similar goals but to also champion for the protection of young civil society actors and overall promotion of civic space for youth.

For this to happen, we should better comprehend what platforms and causes young people veer towards, how their digital activism intersects with traditional civic engagement and what opportunities and obstacles actors encounter in the digital sphere. In this event, we hope to come up with key points on how you can contribute to good governance in a digital world and find ways to fight against corruption.

The Youth Café in partnership with Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), US Embassy intends to invite 20 young men and women to the event that will be held on Tuesday, 7th December 2021 at The Youth Café Office, S1, Kitisuru Gardens from 9.30 am - 12.30 pm. The objective of this event is to build the power of young men and women to impact change in the digital world, fight against corruption and closing civic space.

Should you be interested to attend, please do fill this form so that we are able to contact you.