Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN) and Africa Diaspora Network Japan (ADNJ), two organizations led by young people from Africa and Japan, have developed a youth proposal for TICAD 9, “Youth Agenda 2055,” to promote youth participation in TICAD. JICA is supporting this activity with other organizations.
AAYN and ADNJ have so far collected opinions on the future vision of Japan and Africa through an online questionnaire targeting approximately 300 people, and have held a series of discussions to derive action plans and policy proposals for TICAD 9, utilizing Future Design methods.
At the TICAD Ministerial Meeting in August 2024, AAYN and ADNJ hosted and JICA, UNDP, and other organizations co-hosted the TICAD Ministerial Meeting thematic event “Africa-Japan Youth Drive: Co-creating the Future We Want”.
In order to gather even more voices of young people from the African side and deepen the discussion, we held the “2nd Africa-Japan Youth Drive: Co-creating the Future We Want” as one of the sessions of the African Youth Leadership and Diplomatic Conference 2025 (AYLDC2025) youth event held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The 2nd Africa-Japan Youth Drive: Co-creating the Future We Want” was held as one of the sessions.
Event Name
African Youth Leadership and Diplomatic Conference 2025 (AYLDC2025)
date(s) (e.g. for exhibition)
February 23 (Sun.) – February 25 (Tue.), 2025
organizing
Intercontinental Youth Connect, Ethiopian Youth Dialogue for Peace Association
Co-sponsorship/Sponsorship/Support
Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN), African Diaspora Network Japan (ADNJ), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and many others
venue
Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and others
theme
A Pact for the New Spirit of Pan-Africanism through Glocalization, Innovation-Led Economic Integration, and Peacebuilding Innovation-Led Economic Integration, and Peacebuilding through Glocalization, Innovation-Led Economic Integration, and Peacebuilding)
Main Participants
Approximately 300 young people from 32 African countries (university students, civil society members, entrepreneurs, government officials, etc.), stakeholders, media, etc.
Program Overview
Day 1
Opening Ceremony, Keynote Speech
Speakers (partial list):.
Prof. PLO Lumumba – Founder, PLO Lumumba Foundation; Former Chairman, Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission
Dr. Belete Molla – Minister of Innovation and Technology, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye – Minister of Women and Social Welfare, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Mr. Kajela Merdassa – Advisor to the Prime Minister (Youth and Sports), Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Mr. Adanech Abiebie – Mayor of Addis Ababa
Mr. Hailemariam Desalegn – Former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
(Ergogie Tesfaye, Minister of Women and Social Welfare of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, speaking at the opening ceremony) (Photo: Courtesy of EYDPA)
(Former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn speaking at the opening ceremony) (Photo: Courtesy of EYDPA)
(Group photo of participants) (Photo: courtesy of EYDPA)
2nd day
Introduction of TICAD overview and youth initiatives for TICAD 9 by AAYN and ADNJ, AYLDC regular program (mock diplomacy and debates, cultural exchange dinner)
3rd day
Introduction and reading of “Youth Agenda 2055” (draft version) by AAYN and ADNJ, solicitation of opinions from participants, introduction of future programs, closing ceremony
(ADNJ’s David Ponderu giving a speech on youth participation in TICAD) (Photo: Courtesy of EYDPA)
(A scene from the reading of the Youth Agenda 2055) (Photo: courtesy of EYDPA)
results
During the first two days, AAYN and ADNJ set up a media booth dedicated to the TICAD 9 Youth Initiative at the venue to introduce the Initiative to participants and exchange opinions. Several participants, who have established their own organizations and are involved in projects such as capacity building for young people and girls’ education promotion, expressed strong interest in the TICAD 9 Initiative and cooperation with Japan.
(View of the media booth) (Photo: courtesy of ADNJ)
At the media booth, we also interviewed more than a dozen young people who participated in the event, asking them, “What is the future you want?” (video to be released at a later date).
(Interview) (Photo: courtesy of ADNJ)
During the third day’s session, participants broke into groups to read together on the six pillars of the draft Youth Agenda 2055: Economic, Social, Cultural, Digital Innovation, Peace and Governance, and Sustainability. In the survey gathered, many participants called for a mechanism to support youth-led initiatives and stressed the early realization of peace and stability (a world without violence), as well as the inclusion of youth and women living in rural areas. Many also called for the expansion of language and cultural exchange for the sake of Japan and its co-creation partners.
Youth Agenda 2055″ aims to make youth actions visible by collecting action plans for youth-led initiatives and publishing them as an attachment to the same agenda. Through this event, more than 10 plans have already been collected.
JICA will continue to support such activities of Japanese and African youth in preparation for the TICAD 9 main meeting to be held in Yokohama this August 2025.
© Source JICA
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