We are joining the African Union Commission in celebrating Africa Youth Month in November 2019, under the theme “1 Million by 2021: Count Me In!” The African Youth Charter adopted in 2006 proclaims the 1st of November as Africa Youth Day, and in 2019, given the myriad of interventions and actions on youth spurred by the 1 Million by 2021, the Commission is celebrating youth in the entire month of November.

The 2019 Africa Youth Month (AYM) theme is a clarion call to all youth development stakeholders- governments, international organizations, development partners, private sector, civil society, and all African youth on the continent and in the diaspora – to stand up and be counted as drivers of the 1 Million by 2021 initiative towards youth empowerment. The focus of the 1 Million by 2021 Initiative on Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Engagement is underpinned by a firm foundation of strategic partnerships among stakeholders, and acknowledges young people beneficiaries and partners. Article 26A of the African Youth Charter charges youth to be owners of their own development.

Youth-led movements across the continent have been advocating for change in their respective areas of focus. The aim of Africa Youth Month 2019 is to amplify a unified youth movement to transform education, employment, entrepreneurship and engagement. Correspondingly, the 2019 AYM theme also calls upon governments and partners to mobilize and support the 1 Million by 2021 Initiative through creating and accelerating opportunities for youth in the 4Es.

Background

Young people are at the very heart of Africa’s development agenda. With over 75% of Africa’s 1.2 billion inhabitants under the age of 35, and 453 million Africans aged 15-35, it goes without saying that the development outcomes of Africa’s young people have a significant and lasting effect on the continent’s trajectory. The challenges Africa faces in education, employment, health, and governance are most acutely felt by Africa’s youth.

The African Union Commission, along with the rest of the world, recognizes this centrality of youth to achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063. Aspiration 6 in particular envisions a continent with people-driven development, relying on its youth. Together with the African Youth Charter and the roadmap on harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth, Agenda 2063 and its youth-centric action plans serve as continental frameworks which reflect the prioritization of youth development by the African Union Commission and AU Member States.

The Commission’s strategy on youth engagement aims strengthen its relationship with youth, and equip them with the spaces needed to amplify their voices to audiences of influence. African youth are diverse in realities and skill set. They have the ability to provide the resolutions to challenges plaguing the continent, through their unwavering resilience, vibrancy and penchant for innovation. Young people, by virtue of their energy, vibe and adaptability, gravitate to the forefront of creating new, fresh solutions to old problems, and African governments must leverage this natural affinity through building their capacity and providing spaces for them to thrive.

In 2019, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission launched the 1 Million by 2021 Initiative, which will create direct opportunities for one million young Africans in the areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship and engagement (4Es). At the very core of the initiative are the principles of pan-Africanism, strategic partnerships and Africa-centric innovation and solutions, co-created and driven by Africa’s youth, towards creating sustainable structures.

Resources

Concept Note

Communication Toolkit