Africa Youth Month will comprise of a launch activity on the 1st of November, and thematic weeks across the month, aligned to the 4Es. Activities will include youth-led actions, conferences and meetings, dialogues and extensive social media engagement.
November 1st: Africa Youth Day Scavenger Hunt
● What: The Africa Youth Month will be launched on November 1st with a continent- wide scavenger hunt. The first of its kind, the scavenger hunt will provide youth across Africa and in the diaspora with fun and instructive tasks and activities to perform across the day. These simple tasks are aimed to create awareness, learning, knowledge and interaction with Agenda 2063, the African Youth Charter and 1 Million by 2021.
● How: Each country will have its assigned national task, and there will be a list of simpler activities for youth who may not be able to join a national group. The aim is to ensure that every young African is able to participate and have their voice heard on that day. Tasks will essentially have little or no financial implications, and will only take creativity, vision and a willingness to engage. National and individual tasks will be revealed two weeks prior to the 1st of November. Participants will share their efforts online which will be popularized by the AUC through an online interactive map.
● Who: The scavenger hunt will be convened by the AU Youth Envoy and the Advisory council, and they will lead and coordinate the national tasks. Any individual, youth organization, youth club, family, group of friends, community, etc, can get together and participate.
4th – 10th November: Education
The Education week will see the online curation of education initiatives across the continent, with a spotlight on innovative approaches. There will be profiling of outstanding individuals who are transforming Africa’s education landscape, and social media interactions between key actors in the education sector and African youth. There will also be a reliving of the concluded Innovating Education in Africa Expo, and highlights of the best practices showcased at the event.
11th -17th November: Engagement
The Engagement week will focus on youth engagement and mobilization across the continent.
● Model African Union 2.0: The Commission will organize a Model African Union event during this week which will launch the new Model AU platform as a continent- wide flagship leadership movement. The Model AU, themed Children Today, Youth Tomorrow: A Smooth Transition will explore the important transition from childhood to actualization as youth, and the cumulative gains of child welfare to the state of youth, as highlighted by the African Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (APAYE). Participants will include youth who have experience and/or expertise in community engagement and leadership.
The event will comprise a three-day leadership training, an intergenerational mentorship session with identified community leaders, a training on the Model AU simulation, and an intergenerational dialogue with members of The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), comprising a simulation of the ACERWC, a simulation of the Heads of State summit, and a discussion session between the trainees and the committee members. This will be attended by the AUC Chairperson, the Commissioner of HRST, the UNICEF Executive Director and the UNICEF Representative to the AUC (High-level attendees TBC).
The Model AU event will be the launch of the AU youth leadership movement, a tool for youth participation and engagement at national and sub-national levels, responding to the need for spaces for youth to engage the AUC, and also be engaged at the community level. The new movement will nurture a large cohort of young people who will drive dialogue, action and change from the local to the continental levels. Through this channel, the AUC will equip young people to build a movement which will put youth at the center of sustainable solutions, policies and lasting change. The movement seeks to engage youth who are diverse in expertise, education and life experiences, but are united by a keen desire to bring about an African Renaissance, where continental values underpin our lives, and young people are engaged in society as the drivers of development.
18th -24th November: Entrepreneurship
This week will tap into the Africa Industrialization Week activities, including the Korea- Africa Startup Fair at the AUC Headquarters, through co-convening some sessions at the Fair. It will also reflect on ongoing entrepreneurship initiatives under 1 Million by 2021, including national initiatives in pathfinder AU Member States.
25th – 30th November: Employment
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The Employment week will feature online engagement on employment practices, effective school-to-work transition, and skilling for the 21st century job market. There will be profiling of best practices, showcase of internship and apprenticeship opportunities and engagement with African youth on employment realities.
