Youth Voices Shaping Africa's Humanitarian & Governance Agenda · 8–9 November 2024
CEREDDA participated in the 3rd African Union Humanitarian Youth Forum held in Lusaka, Zambia on 8 and 9 November 2024. Convened under the auspices of the African Union Commission's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, the Forum brought together young African leaders, humanitarian practitioners, government officials, and civil society organisations to deliberate on youth's role in responding to Africa's humanitarian challenges and shaping continental governance.
CEREDDA's Programme Officer Sophie Silo Njonje represented the organisation at the forum, contributing CEREDDA's perspective on youth-inclusive governance, the role of young people in election observation and democratic participation, and the importance of integrating youth voices into policy dialogue at the African Union level.
The forum highlighted the disproportionate impact of humanitarian crises on young Africans and underscored the critical need for structured youth participation in peace processes, development programming, and continental governance — themes central to CEREDDA's ongoing programmes on democratic governance and inclusive policy dialogue.
Young Africans must be empowered as co-designers of governance systems — not merely consulted as beneficiaries. CEREDDA advocates for structural youth representation in decision-making bodies at all levels.
Lowering barriers to youth political participation — including in election observation and civic education — is a governance imperative, not a generational preference. CEREDDA's work directly supports this through its Elections Programme.
CEREDDA's ECOSOCC membership and participation in forums like this one reflects its commitment to ensuring that civil society — including youth-led organisations — has a genuine voice within African Union deliberative processes.