Building upon the momentum generated at the recently held Summit for Democracy (S4D3) in Seoul, Republic of Korea, the spotlight on Africa's democratic landscape has intensified. Against the backdrop of findings from the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Democracy Index, the imperative to strengthen democratic institutions and counter authoritarian tendencies has become increasingly urgent. Africa is at the forefront of this global discussion due to its diverse political tapestry, which is characterized by distinctive contexts and challenges. As we navigate through a series of pivotal elections, including presidential, legislative, and general elections in countries such as Senegal, South Africa, and Mozambique, the need to scrutinize Africa's democratic trajectory becomes paramount.

The Youth Cafe, in collaboration with Georgetown University Qatar, is embarking on a community engagement initiative whereby ten students from Georgetown University will be visiting Nairobi, Kenya, on May 11th, 2024. During their stay in Nairobi, the students will immerse themselves in the complexities of social entrepreneurship, job creation, and development. The insights garnered from these meetings, exchanges, and field visit will be brought back to the classroom to enhance discussions and academic discourse.

The aim of this session is to highlight the importance of engaging in democratic processes and defending democratic values in a polarized world with rising authoritarian tendencies. Building on the Global Democracy Coalition’s work and in collaboration with Club de Madrid and its WYDE Civic Engagement Network of Young Decision-Makers, composed of approximately  thirty young decision-makers under 36 years of age, this session will bring together two of our young leaders, who are proof that youth political representation can be achieved, with our Member Moussa Mara, former Prime Minister from Mali, who held office at a young age and is aware of the challenges young politicians experience when accessing decision making positions. 

2024 ECOSOC Youth Forum: Uniting Global Youth for Sustainable Development Goals

Amidst a world challenged by escalating geopolitical tensions, a worsening climate crisis, and rising poverty, the largest UN annual gathering of young people will take place at the United Nations from 16 to 18 April. Convened by the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum is an opportunity for young people to speak up on how to transform the world into a fairer place and on how to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In that context, the Forum is the platform for young people from around the world to engage with UN Member States and other stakeholders on solutions contributing to the realization of the SDGs Decade of Action.

The theme of the 2024 ECOSOC Youth Forum will align with that of the 2024 High-level Political Forum on “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”. Ahead of the Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024, young people will have the opportunity to present to Member States their views, ideas, and vision.

The Global Fund for Community Foundations, Kenya Community Development Foundation and East Africa Philanthropy Network invite you to a meeting on Tuesday 9th April at Four points by Sheraton, Hurling ham, Nairobi from 10am to 3pm (including lunch), for a conversation on #ShiftThePower and its relevance and potential in Kenya, East Africa and globally.

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign is a civil society platform committed to collaborating with stakeholders to redress Kenya’s public debt crisis. The coalition seeks to push for political accountability and bolster constitutional safeguards in public debt management for debt sustainability through a balanced and equitable budget.

The Youth Cafe will be part of this where the Executive Director, Willice Onyango will be part of a panel discussing Regional Perspectives: Impact of Human Rights Defenders Protecting Civic Space.oin Counterpart International, Alliance for Vietnam's Democracy, and the Global Democracy Coalition for a series of panel discussions on December 11 in celebration of Human Rights Day. The hybrid event will bring together prominent panelists who have dedicated their lives to defending and promoting human rights.

On 10 December 2023, The Youth Cafe will be part of the United Nations' celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Willice Onyango, Executive Director at The Youth Cafe, will be part of a panel discussing ‘Regional Perspectives on Human Rights Defenders' Impact on Protecting Civic Space.’

This year, the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP28) will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. COP28 will feature the first-ever Health Day on 3 December, where health will be on the official negotiation agenda.  Given its economic, social and ecological impacts, climate change is one of the most critical environmental issues at the national and global levels.

The inaugural event, which will take place on 28 November 2023, marks the beginning of an exciting journey. This online session will delve deep into the dynamic realm of Civic Space through the experience of an inspiring organisation: Code for Africa. Code for Africa is Africa’s largest network of civic technology and data journalism labs.

To help philanthropists, foundations, and other funders in the space better understand this evolving sector, The Youth Cafe and the Presidential Economic Transformation Secretariat are hosting a physical private donor roundtable to hear from industry experts — innovators and advisors who are working with economic systems today in the private sector and in philanthropy. 

The Youth Cafe will be participating in the civil society roundtable for the WYDE Accountability Hubs, which will take place on Wednesday, 22 November, 1:30 PM – 4 PM, at Baraza Media Lab, Nairobi.

The Kofi Annan Foundation is bringing the Women and Youth in Democracy (WYDE) Accountability Hubs to Kenya! The Accountability Hubs is an EU-funded project to strengthen accountable, democratic and transparent leadership and empower young people’s participation in public affairs. Twenty excellent young leaders from Sub-Saharan Africa are selected each year for an extensive training and networking programme on financial and political accountability, project management, and ethical leadership.

This forum will be conducted virtually and will feature a panel of lawyers from the three East African Countries who possess exceptional knowledge of the legal framework governing digital rights in their respective countries. Their academic accomplishments will ensure that their contributions will be insightful and thought-provoking.

The Youth Cafe is excited to be involved in the launch of the Youth Empowerment Fund on 4 October. Considering that The Youth Cafe is a youth-led organization working with youths for youths, young people have an active role in the launch event with Commissioner Urpilainen. The Youth Action Plan in EU External Action (YAP) features flagships for the three pillars of the plan: engage, connect, and empower

The Tatua Digital Resilience Centre will host an in-person training targeting board members and senior leadership of Social Justice Organisations (SJOs) based in Tanzania. The goal of the training is to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate the digital landscape and strengthen their organizations' digital resilience. The training is informed by trends seen of SJOs increasingly relying on technology and digital platforms for their work. At the same time, many SJOs have not appreciated the extent of their dependency on digital technologies or been made aware of the opportunities and risks presented by the digital environment for their work.

The International Day of Democracy is a global observance celebrated on September 15th each year. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007, this day serves as an opportunity to promote and uphold the principles of democracy worldwide. It aims to raise awareness about the importance of democratic governance, encourage citizen participation, and foster dialogue among stakeholders to strengthen democratic institutions. 

The Youth Café is excited to share a policy brief, "Unlocking Opportunities: AfCTA’s Agricultural Impact on African Youth, MSMEs, Digital Economy, and Health. "This brief explores AfCFTA's potential effects on these sectors, highlighting the roles of youth and MSMEs in maximizing its benefits. We believe AfCFTA holds transformative power for economies, especially concerning youth participation and the digital economy.