ADF IV YOUTH AND GOVERNANCE FOCUS GROUP

ISSUES PAPER

Introduction

The median age of the African population is less than 20, yet many young people are disillusioned by the protracted political and economic crises afflicting the continent. Today's youth will one day be leaders in society making decisions that will have enormous impact. They have many assets, talents, and resources to offer. The challenge is to mobilize their energies and to transform governance systems so that they feel included and represented. Discussions will cover voting ages; representation of youth in political parties; other mechanisms for representation; the case of young women; and the role of young people in the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

International organisations and initiatives have not so far effectively engaged with youth. Even international agencies whose mandates deal with children up to the age of 18 have been shy of concerning themselves with teenagers. Hence, a set of young people's issues needs to be brought to the governance agenda, while discussions of governance questions need to be made accessible and relevant to young people. There is an opportunity for the ADF IV to set a new international agenda for the participation of young people and engagement with youth issues. Therefore exploratory discussions on the issue will be timely, relevant and potentially path-breaking.

Objective of the Focus Group

The purpose of the Youth and Governance Focus Group is to examine better and more representation for young people by considering ways to provide effective channels for their voices and training and opportunities for participation in political life. It will also discuss the catalytic role of youth in contributing to policy debates and programme planning, particularly in two areas of great importance to them: HIV/AIDS and education/employment.

Key Issues

1) Youth, democracy and governance

Most political systems condescend to young people, relegating their concerns to the margins, and bracketing them exclusively with issues such as sport and education. Many political parties have `youth wings', but these are often less a means of political apprenticeship than a device for the militarisation of electoral politics. Some countries have experimented with means of reaching out to the young, for example by designating some parliamentary seats for the youth, while Nelson Mandela proposed lowering the voting age to fourteen. In the current context, there is a pressing need to address the challenges of youth and governance, through listening to the views and experiences of Africa's young people themselves. The group should consider:

• How can governance systems be reformed so as to provide better and more effective representation of young people?

• What should the minimum voting age be?

• Should there be special mechanisms for the representation of youth?

• What are the appropriate roles for youth wings of political parties, youth clubs, etc?

• What special mechanisms are required to ensure the effective participation of young women?

• Is there a role for `children's parliaments'?

• What role can young people have in the governance of regional initiatives, including the AU and NEPAD?

2) Youth and HIV/AIDS

The HIV/AIDS pandemic highlights the depth and urgency of the governance challenge for Africa's young people. Establishing a sense of positive futurity among African youth would appear to be essential for not only HIV prevention but also for laying the social foundation for good governance. The group should consider:

• How is the HIV/AIDS pandemic changing young Africans' perception of themselves and their future?

• What policies and programmes have been most effective in responding to HIV/AIDS among the young?

• What gender aspects of the pandemic are most relevant to young people?

• What leadership roles can young people play in combating the pandemic?

• What other governance requirements are there, relevant to young people, for combating HIV/AIDS?

• How will the governance implications of HIV/AIDS impact on young people, and how do they envisage responding to these problems?

3) Education, human resource development, and employment

Investment in human resources, notably education, is increasingly recognised as the key to sustainable development. In the context of Africa today, it makes sense to design and build educational systems in partnership with young people. The group should consider:

• How do young people envisage their education and human resource demands?

• What education policies have been most effective in realizing the right to education? What style and content of education is most appropriate for young people's agendas, especially in the era of HIV/AIDS?

• What regional and international agendas for education and human resource development are relevant to the young?

Conclusion

These are some of the issues that the Media and Governance Focus Group will need to consider before the ADF IV in October 2004. The group's agreement on key areas of concern, and consensus on recommended actions, is intended to guide the plenary deliberations, with other stakeholders and selected Heads of States, at the Forum itself.