Why I signed the Nairobi Declaration on African Youth Connectedness

On the 1st of July 2017 some 100 Youth from 19 African Countries gathered at Kenyatta University holding conversations on Peace and Development. Almost a year to the date, the Group has successfully convened elections for an Executive Committee which will manage the workings of the Continental Network.

The Nairobi Declaration on African Youth Connectedness is a call to African youth all over the globe to increase their participation in the creation, implementation and management of research and projects which will ensure the Sustainable Development of the African continent using an existing centralised data and information system. The Declaration seeks to allow for implementation plans created by African Youth across the globe to have a home base for Growth, Assessment, Correction and Implementation.

The Declaration has the following aims

to drive the inclusion of youth in all levels of decision making,

to increase access to credible information especially from, to and during times of distress and pressure such as election seasons and public demonstrations,

to encourage the exchange of ideas among youth

to assist with the tracking of developments and findings from implementation.

to create a strong unifying voice, advocating for social change and to engage a diverse range of stakeholders in order to build sustainable Peace and Development on the African continent.

Documents are created all the time. Declarations are signed often at Conferences and promises are always made to achieve considerable success by the next sitting. Often, these aren't well considered and often die within days of being entered into, the Nairobi Declaration has passed the first test and survived the death of many declarations before and after it .

What I love about my peers is their sheer determination to not let down the cause, seen in the return of Fees must Fall, till Victory. We have been raised in an era where African Politics has had African Development by the balls. We are deeply taken by the cause of Socio-Economic Freedom because we were raised with it being just too close to not be frustrated by Africa's collective reality, yet too far for you to push a button and make it happen for yourself as an individual let alone for your people.

I signed the Nairobi Declaration because it does not only make a statement about missioning towards Socio-Economic Freedom, but gives clear indication to Youth on the Importance of Youth taking charge of the Movement through participation in multiple spheres and various methods as opposed to waiting for Political changes.

Through the Declaration, the African Youth Peace Network is planning an important move with Zimbabwean Youth Leaders #LeaveNoYouthBehind where a Tweetbate will be held in solidarity with Zimbabwean Youth as they deliver demands to Parliament to include youth in decision making moving forward in April of 2018.