African Youth Show the Way Towards Peace and Democracy

This Sunday, International Youth Think Tank’s 6th Youth Conference starts. It is special in many ways. This year it is not just an IYTT Youth Conference, it is also a Nobel Symposium in Peace with guests like a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. It is also the first time the IYTT Youth Conference will be held in Africa.

In Africa, the world’s demographically youngest continent, many countries hold elections during the super election year of 2024. The V-Dem Democracy Report 2024 identifies Sub-Saharan Africa as the part of the world which holds the world’s largest number of democratizing countries, but also, the largest number of autocratizing countries. The International IDEA’s yearly Global State of Democracy 2022 and 2023 reports stress that African youth drive new movements that claim better policies, challenge human rights abuses, and demand better economic outcomes and freedom in politics and culture.

The 6th IYTT Youth Conference and Nobel Symposia NS203 brings together 24 young people between the ages of 18 and 28, from the eight countries Botswana, Nigeria, Malawi, Pakistan, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. The participants will engage in conversations with scholars, professionals and a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate on topics related to democracy, peace building, and democracy renewal.

The conference participants’ overall assignment is to develop their best arguments for why an open and democratic society provides the most desirable conditions that promotes a humane development of the world, and to come up with tangible proposals on how an open democratic society could be sustained in challenging times.

“I am running across the continent preaching a democracy and an approach to peace that focuses on results, than divides the parties engaged on lines of freedom fighters and dictators, and siblings and foes. Attending the conference will widen my scope”, says Ambrose Ngobi, conference participant from Uganda.

From their working groups, the participants will produce policy proposals and contribute to a conference report, which will be presented in a public seminar published in the IYTT Handbook for Innovative Democracy to inspire leaders in civil society, industry, and politics. Participants will engage on the topic of democracy entrepreneurship and will return to their respective countries with broadened knowledge, strengthened voices and enhanced network capacities.

“It’s a great opportunity to arrange our first Youth Conference in South Africa. My hope for the conference is that all the amazing 24 African conference participants will contribute novel arguments and ideas on how to realize a democratic, peaceful, and equitable future”, says Urban Strandberg, IYTT Manager and Co-founder.

Read more about the conference here >

Want to listen?

While most sessions are only for the 24 participants and invited inspirational speakers and commentators, the following sessions are open to the public and live streamed:

August 26, 9-12 a.m. – Opening words, Keynote: The State of Democracy of Africa and the World, Panel: The Future of African Democracy – LIVE STREAM LINK >

August 27, 6-9 p.m. – 12th Annual Frederik Van Zyl Slabbert (FVZS) Honorary Lecture & Reception – LIVE STREAM LINK >

August 29, 2-4.15 p.m. – Conference Concluding Presentation – LIVE STREAM LINK >