AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective

Home / AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective
June 28, 2024

AU-EU Youth Voices Lab – Power of the Collective is a four-year EU-funded project implemented by a 5-member consortium comprising Oxfam Intermon, Restless Development, Search for Common Ground, Youthmakers Hub, and Makesense Africa. The project seeks to create a more youth-responsive and inclusive society in Africa and Europe.

Term: March 2024 – February 2028

Context:
Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with over 60% of its population under 25. These young people face challenges such as climate change and extreme weather events, regional conflicts and disputed national elections, with mass protests and social instability. They also face a lack of economic prospects, they are under-represented and struggle to gain legitimacy in decision-making processes across the continent. However, they are increasingly taking an active role in shaping their future and identifying new solutions. A growing youth diaspora in Europe is also playing a hinge role, advocating for young Africans to be the key drivers for change, working on solutions with new paradigms and mentalities.

The project:
The project aims to empower youth to shape actions for sustainable development, equality, and peace at various levels. It operates through two interlinked journeys: the Youth Journey and the Institutional Journey. The Youth Journey equips young people aged 15-35 and youth-led groups to advocate for their concerns within the AU-EU partnership in Africa. The Institutional Journey supports decision-makers in facilitating and developing youth-responsive policies. The logic behind the project is that if young people are given the opportunity and skills to participate in decision-making processes and institutions support their efforts, then policies will become more youth-responsive.

A key tool is the Youth Voices Lab App, providing information, training, workshops, and resources to facilitate collaboration and advocacy. The project also supports youth-led initiatives through the Youth Voices Third-Party Funding Mechanism, offering microgrants of €1,000 to €10,000.
Additional activities include advocacy training, Youth Power Hackathons, coalition building, and enabling youth participation in decision-making spaces. The ultimate goal is to benefit all by including young people in decision-making processes.

Geographical coverage
The project involves youth and decision-makers from all 54 African countries. Direct implementation is prioritized in 14 African countries (each with differing levels of development and facing different challenges that youth can contribute to). Search is directly implementing in Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Kenya, while the other partners also implement directly in South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Burkina Faso. Additionally, direct implementation will take place in Belgium to connect African youth with EU decision-makers and Brussels-based diaspora organizations.

 

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