The African Network of Youth Policy Experts ( AfriNYPE) too part in an international conference on youth rights within the framework of World Human Rights Forum organized in Morocco end of November 2014. The conference provided a good opportunity for AfriNYPE to share the importance of youth engagement and participation in the reviewing of the Africa Youth Charter which champions the rights of young people in Africa. Yvonne Akoth, AfriNYPE’s representative in the panel stressed that youth rights are human rights which need to be respected. She added that it is important for young people to champion their rights as well as the rights of others by engaging in youth policy and public development processes. This would be vital especially in achieving the next development goals Post2015. The conference is organized by Moroccan Association Jeunes pour Jeunes in partnership with the Council of Europe and the Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports on the sidelines of the World Human Rights Forum held in Marrakech, Morocco on November 27-30, 2014
The network also took part in another “International Conference on Local Youth Councils”, organized on the sidelines of the World Human Rights Forum in Marrakech, Morocco. The conference was attended by stakeholders from local youth councils, international organizations as well as the members of the African Network of Youth Policy Experts whom together shared their experiences on good practices of running local youth councils.
The network was represented by Miss Lombe Tembo a youth policy expert from Zambia and Mr Antonio Palazuelos, an international advisor based in Cape Verde who both shared their experiences and expertise to other participants. During the discussion Miss Tembo raised her concern over the issue of lack of proper structures in some areas in the context of local youth councils as well as the lack of funds to support local youth councils. She emphasized the importance of legal aspect as a way of guaranteeing structured participation of young people at the local level through established and recognized Local Youth Councils. She reiterated that there should be the increase of youth participation through participatory democracy, civic education, youth training and capacity building on the Human Rights, participation, and peace and conflict resolution.
Mr Palazuelos on the other side, who made a presentation on local youth councils, provided technical skills to participants on ways of facilitating the process of youth participation from the local community to national and international level. He explained the main characteristics of youth policies, which can provide an enabling environment for youth contribution in the society. He also emphasized the importance of youth in leading changes in the society. Mr Palazuelos is the network director of program development and Tembo the director of outreach and advocacy.
The network director of Research & Strategic Studies also took part as a trainer the evaluation seminar of the Council of Europe Training of Trainers on Human Rights Education & Youth Democratic Participation. The seminar, which brought together about 40 youth from Euro-Arab regions, aims at evaluating the impact of a series of training on the subject listed above on youth projects, on their personal development, on their organizations, on their communities and on youth policy in general.
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