At no time in history has it been clearer that young people stand at the center of our hope for the future. This is particularly true in Africa, where the African Union (AU) notes that “Africa has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million young people aged between the ages of 15 to 35 years.” The AU further emphasizes that, “Such a youthful population calls for an increase of investment in economic and social development factors, in order to improve the development index of African nations.”
Ubuntu Africa Youth Assembly Series II. “Building Hope at Home: Ubuntu, Ethical Leadership, and Creating an Africa Where Every Young Person Can Flourish” Webinar
Nurturing young people as our future moral and innovative leaders grounded in a foundation of our shared humanity is at the heart of the Global Peace Foundation’s (GPF) Ubuntu Africa Youth Assembly Series II. “Building Hope at Home: Ubuntu, Ethical Leadership, and Creating an Africa Where Every Young Person Can Flourish” was the theme of the second session in the Series held on August 19. H.E. Ambassador Dr. Arikana Chihombori was the keynote speaker, and the young participants and ARI youth working group members from across Africa attending the online forum were given the opportunity to speak freely and reflect on the challenges they face, the type of leadership they value, and the ways Ubuntu can guide meaningful civic action.
It is critical for young people to have a “safe and brave” environment such as the one GPF provides where they can actively engage with prominent leaders and peers to ask questions, share perspectives, and challenge themselves to recognize their collective responsibility in building peace and resiliency within their communities and countries. Although it is often easier to put ourselves first, the African philosophy of Ubuntu—“I am because we are”—reminds us that our shared humanity is embedded in relationships where an individual flourishes through the connections they build with others. As one participant noted, “African mindset change is what we need for sure. Ubuntu’s mindset is completely different from the way we perceive the world today.”
Educating young people with truthful information, rather than propaganda or “fake news,” is essential to keeping them well informed and not unduly influenced. With easy access to social media that can be misleading at best or calculating at worst, safeguards are needed so that information can be verified for authenticity. A participant reflected, “I think we have to acknowledge that political ignorance and misinformation remain a real challenge among many young people. We are a very young population with enormous power to shape our countries, but that also makes us vulnerable to manipulation when we are not well informed.”
The same young person highlighted the need for African nations to invest in their large youthful population rather than rely solely on outside forces to do so. “If others are investing heavily in discovering, mentoring and shaping Africa’s brightest young minds, what are African nations doing to identify, mentor, retain and empower their own future leaders?”
Ubuntu Africa Youth Assembly Series II. “Building Hope at Home: Ubuntu, Ethical Leadership, and Creating an Africa Where Every Young Person Can Flourish” Webinar
Empowering young people through sustained engagement and mentoring is crucial, as it places them at the forefront of active community participation. In addition, the young attendees underscored the importance of ethical leadership rooted in Ubuntu to build multigenerational engagement, shared responsibility, and sustainable peace and social cohesion. As one participant emphasized, “We must embrace the Ubuntu philosophy, ‘ I am because we are,’ by emphasizing relationality, communal responsibility, and collective well-being in all African countries.”
Young Africans are seeking the mentorship, education, and skills needed to lead their nation in a moral and ethical manner. It is up to all of us to actively listen, engage, and build meaningful relationships with young people, embedded in a foundation of our shared humanity. GPF continues its work in this effort, collaborating with communities and multi-sector partnerships that value youth as an invaluable asset. Connecting young leaders remains a priority, and technology such as the African Renaissance Initiative Community Hub provides an avenue for them to stay connected on an ongoing basis.
