The Youth Café At The Summit For Democracy | Strengthening Democracy In Times Of Peril
On December 9-10, 2021, President Biden will host the first of two Summits for Democracy. The Youth Café is delighted to be joining the Youth Town Hall during the Summit for Democracy. The Summit for Democracy will be a virtual event hosted by the President of the United States and joined by other Chiefs of State, Heads of Government, international and civil society organization leaders, and other governmental and non-governmental participants. It will consist of a two-day, leader-level virtual meeting preceded by a half-day of official, non-leader-level events. The Leaders are expected to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action.
“Democracy doesn’t happen by accident. We have to defend it, fight for it, strengthen it, renew it.”
The Summit presents an opportunity to discuss how to strengthen democracy in times of peril and to show how democracy still works and can improve people’s lives in tangible ways. It aims to show how open, rights-respecting societies can work together to effectively tackle the challenges of our time, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and inequality.
The Summit will solicit innovative and bold commitments centered around the following goals (1) to galvanize commitments and initiatives across the three principal themes of strengthening democracy and defending against authoritarianism, fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights; and (2) to engage, listen, and speak honestly about the challenges facing democracy globally and within participating countries, including the United States. The attendees are asked to make meaningful commitments to furthering democracy in their countries, with a follow-up summit planned for next year. The Summit will include both live and pre-recorded video segments and will be live-streamed for public and press viewing.
The Youth Café was nominated by the US Embassy in Kenya as one of the only 70 global young leaders to have a conversation with the senior administration officials. In the Summit for Democracy, we will highlight our work that strengthens democracy and supports democratic ambitions.
We have been given an opportunity to ask the President of the United States of America a question which is: “Many young people want to take part in politics but are disheartened by the negative image projected by the current political elite and their apparent inability to tackle the multiple crises of recent times.
Although young people in schools and universities acquire some notion and perhaps the experience of democratic practice, some are seeking opportunities in a non-formal learning environment to enhance their capacity to become active citizens and democratic leaders, strengthened by a set of fundamental values to guide their action and to do things differently.
How effective are non-formal education approaches in developing democratic attitudes? What are their assets and pitfalls? Are such initiatives making a difference? What can be done in countries where civil society is under pressure and such activities are perceived as a threat by authorities?”.
The Youth Café commits to having a bold suite of new programming to strengthen our democracy work and expose, track, and disrupt transnational corruption and mitigate its impact on democratic governance and development progress by working at the local, national, regional, and global levels.
The Youth Café is focusing on the next generation and Youth inclusion in democratic processes. East Africa is young in democracy and its political institutions are not well established, youth are excluded from important decision-making processes. Governments and policymakers in East Africa are reluctant to include youth in the formal political systems. What future do the youths want and how can they increase their participation in politics?
Join us, as we ask and seek answers to these pertinent questions to the president of the United States of America during the Summit for Democracy!