On the 22nd to the 25th of April 2014 Africa Unite youth peer educators attended a strategy and planning workshop for the second phase of the Voice Africa’s Future (VAF) campaign which aims at making youth voices the major influence in the post 2015 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) formulation. The workshop was hosted by African Monitor at the Airport Grand Hotel, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Present during the sessions were VAF partners and youth champions from, West Africa Youth Network (Burkina Faso), Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (Uganda), GCAP (Zambia), ALDA, Youth Consultative Forum, Organisation for African Youth (Kenya), International Youth Organisation (Kenya), Youth Advocates (Ghana), Northern Youth Network, No One Left Behind (Tanzania), Talent Youth Association (Ethiopia) including Africa Unite (South Africa)
Africa Unite Youth Champion from Johannesburg Katlego in front presenting.
The workshop aimed at:
– Forging a common position from VAF members around the Post 2015 development agenda
– Devise key strategies and tactics to influence the UN and global community on VAF key asks, resulting in an advocacy work-plan
– Provide training on advocacy and influencing at local, continental and global levels for youth champions and participating members
During the workshop VAF partners and youth champions discussed and developed country working frameworks that will provide impetus for advocacy at various entry levels within the post-2015 discourse. The major focus is how to amplify the data and voices of young people across Africa that was generated in 2013 during the first phase of the Voice Africa’s Future Campaign. These voices will then influence the high level panel of the United Nations during the formulation of the post 2015 MDGs.
Namhla from African Monitor presenting
Capacity training tips and tactics were also given on how to mobilise relevant resources, using media and how to engage policy makers, civil society, academia and politicians.
The workshop marked a critical step in initiating the influencing phase of VAF work. The focus will primarily be on strategising with key partners how such influencing will take place at the global, continental and national level. Above all the workshop helped to increase exchange and interactions between African youth from different geographical locations and backgrounds.
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