Jesse David’s Post

It is an honor to be a part of the journey of the 2024 African United Nations Youth Delegates. Their passion and focus on Youth Peace and Security (YPS), meaningful youth engagement, and youth employment mandates have been inspiring, particularly in the following areas: 1. The strategic development and support of youth-based frameworks across the UN system and the African Union (AU) to help actualize the Secretary-General's report on meaningful youth engagement. 2. The development of youth-focused frameworks on the existing reforms towards the Security Council, with an emphasis on establishing youth councils at the regional level. 3. The establishment of local value chains that are African-based and the exploration of new modalities of funding for sustainable development that are subject to youth scrutiny. These initiatives demonstrate the readiness of the youth to engage in discussions, build context, adopt intergenerational approaches, and work towards a better Africa.

Pleased to attend Africa Youth Consultative Forum on United Nations Summit of the Future. Building on the African Youth Charter and the UN’s commitment to youth empowerment, this forum seeks to mobilize youth representatives from across African Member States to articulate their perspectives, priorities and solutions for addressing global challenges and also inform the UN #FutureSummit, which seeks to rekindle #multilateralism towards the accelerated implementation of the #SDGs with focus on five key strategic areas that could be “game changers” in delivering on the #SDGs by 2030. The #SummitOfTheFuture is a critical opportunity to reaffirm and bolster shared principles and advance solutions to deliver for the people and planet more effectively. Member States have committed to adopting a Pact for the Future at the Summit to cement collective agreements and showcase global solidarity for current and future generations.

In these challenging times, the lack of youth participation in decision-making is alarming. According to the UNICEF's recent report: Meaningful Youth Engagement in the Multilateral System https://lnkd.in/ggyXa7Up -94 per cent of youth participants reported that they did not have sufficient support before, during and after participation to be able to meaningfully participate in multilateral forums. -90 per cent of youth participants did not find the processes and spaces for youth engagement to be inclusive, equal and representative enough. -For 81 per cent of young people, youth participation in international events is often tokenistic and young people’s ability to impact policies and decisions is limited. Whether in NDCs, national strategies, or international negotiations, it's time for young leaders to offer a new vision and drive the transformative change our world urgently needs. #youth #sustainability #climatechange #climatejustice #intergenerationalequity

🌍 1 Day to Go: UN Intergenerational Dialogue! Tomorrow, young people,leaders, experts, and changemakers from across generations will come together at the UN Intergenerational Dialogue to reimagine solutions for South Africa's most pressing social justice challenges. Hosted by YMCA South Africa with it's implementing partners the UN Foundation,Engage South Africa, and the Leading Like Mandela Institute, this dynamic event builds on the momentum of the UN Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future—a global commitment to safeguarding our collective tomorrow. ✨ Why It Matters: Amplify diverse voices and foster intergenerational cooperation. Empower youth perspectives to shape national and global decisions. Co-create actionable solutions for the UN 2100 Roadmap. This is more than a dialogue; it’s a call to action for a sustainable, inclusive future. Stay tuned as we share more. #VisonsFor2100

🌍 1 Day to Go: Intergenerational Dialogue! Tomorrow, young people,leaders, experts, and changemakers from across generations will come together at the UN Intergenerational Dialogue to reimagine solutions for South Africa's most pressing social justice challenges. Hosted by YMCA South Africa with it's implementing partners the UN Foundation, Engage South Africa, and the Leading Like Mandela Institute, this dynamic event builds on the momentum of the UN Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future—a global commitment to safeguarding our collective tomorrow.  ✨ Why It Matters: · Amplify diverse voices and foster intergenerational cooperation. · Empower youth perspectives to shape national and global decisions. · Co-create actionable solutions for the UN 2100 Roadmap. This is more than a dialogue; it’s a call to action for a sustainable, inclusive future. Stay tuned as we share more. #VisionsFor2100 Our Future Agenda

During the 2024 United Nations High-level Political Forum #HLPF2024, we were privileged to host three inspiring representatives from Africa's youth and civil society who shared their insights on the continent's development. Their participation in key events, particularly the annual ministerial event on #AfricaDay, was vital in fostering discussions among African Member States about advancing the Sustainable Development Goals #SDGs and the African Union’s #Agenda2063. They focused on Africa's challenges and opportunities, offering practical examples and policy recommendations for local, regional, and global implementation to foster a more inclusive and prosperous Africa. Monicah Malith, the first International President of the University of Nairobi Students Association, shared her journey from #SouthSudan. Fleeing conflict at 12, she overcame many challenges to excel in her education, illustrating the transformative power of learning and the resilience of young African leaders. Victoria Nyanjura, abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army at 14, escaped after eight years and emerged as a key player in Uganda's transitional justice landscape. Recognized for her advocacy for crisis-affected women, she founded Women in Action for Women, showcasing the strength of African women in driving community change. Victor Ochen, the youngest African nominee for The Nobel Prize and head of AYINET, emphasized the critical role of youth leadership in promoting sustainable development. Growing up in conflict-affected northern #Uganda, Victor dedicated his life to peacebuilding after promising his mother to choose peace over violence. Monicah, Victoria, and Victor's journeys exemplify Africa's spirit of resilience and determination, inspiring us to continue our efforts in addressing the vital connection between peace, security, and sustainable development. We take inspiration from their contribution to continue our work, including the following takeaways on the relationship between #peace, security, and #SustainableDevelopment in supporting African countries to accelerate progress towards achieving sustainable development. ✔ Ensuring that children have access to safe learning environments is crucial for reducing violence and keeping children in school. In communities where peace prevails, children feel secure and are much more likely to pursue their education. This not only contributes to their personal growth but also opens the doors to future opportunities. ✔ Peace and stability attract investment, support economic activities, and ensure the effective use of development resources. In secure environments, businesses thrive, jobs are created, and communities gain the momentum needed for sustainable economic growth. By prioritizing peace and security, we lay the foundation for flourishing #education systems, robust economic initiatives, and sustainable development across Africa.

🌱 ProtectDefenders.eu celebrates International #Youth Day! This day was created to bring Youth issues to the global attention and celebrate the potential of Youth to drive positive change and achieve the sustainable development goals set in the UN 2030 Agenda. In many parts of the world, Youth, that comprise half of the global population, are at the centre of human rights and sustainability activism. We highlight the urgency to include this vast youth population in political dialogues and decision-making processes around crucial matters, including climate change, peace, democracy, and human rights. ProtectDefenders.eu recognises the immense value of Youth in today’s evolving world and positions Youth activists and Youth civil society organisations as priority categories within its Mechanism. 💡Read on our latest report how we supported the Ugandan human rights, student-led organisation, Students for Global-Democracy Uganda, through training and financial support. https://lnkd.in/dA9XFP_V #YouthDay #Sustainability #HumanRights

I believe that youth to youth cooperation can be a gamechanger. Backed by United Nations Youth initiatives like : 1. WPAY -  World Programme of Action for Youth under the authority of United Nations General Assembly and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides a policy framework and practical guidelines for national action and international support to improve the situation of young people around the world. 2. #Youth2030 - The United Nations Youth Strategy aims to empower young people to realize their full potential and actively contribute to sustainable development, human rights, peace and security. 3. Generation Unlimited - launched by UNICEF , their mission is to unleash the full potential of the world's 1.8 billion young people. By providing them with the right skills and opportunities, they can be at the forefront of creating a better, more equitable world. Campaigns like "Not Too Young to Run" led by Yiaga Africa and adopted by the UN, African Union and ECOWAS Commission play a crucial role in promoting youth engagement in politics, empowering young leaders, and ensuring that political systems are inclusive and representative of all age groups.

𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐮𝐦 17–19 April 2024 Zoom Meetings 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗣𝗬𝗦𝟰: The 4th Asia and the Pacific Youth Symposium (APYS4) is a social dialogue exchange that convenes governments, non-government organizations, youth, and other key stakeholders in development to discuss major and emerging climate issues in the region. These meaningful discussions ultimately revolve around the region’s collective efforts to equip youth with the skills to access and create green jobs, encourage youth engagement in policy decisions and making processes, and for young women and girls to shape the Just Transition. 𝗖𝗼-𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: ADB NGO and Civil Society Center Plan International Asia-Pacific UNICEF South Asia UNICEF East Asia & Pacific 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗢𝗪: https://bit.ly/joinapys4 or https://lnkd.in/ge-QvAkS #APYS4 #apys4climateaction #APYS4all