5th African Annual Youth Conference on Social Justice and Democracy (AAYC)

‘’The world is faced with several crises which are shifting the social, economic and political realities significantly. The onset of Covid19 within the world, climate change and recently the Russian invasion of Ukraine present a convergence of crises with disruptive consequences. Africa is caught in these crises as both a victim and a proxy at a geopolitical level.

Youth as the biggest, yet most disenfranchised demographic group are faced with a precarious, vulnerable and uncertain future. They also face two contradictions of being expected on one hand to be guarantors of social stability by adopting dominant values and behaviour patterns of the society, and on the other, to be drivers of the ever faster and therefore ever more necessary social change. This presents a paradox where youth as both a resource for social progress as well as a social problem to be addressed.

The 5th Annual Africa Youth Conference in Addis Ababa addressed these paradox and asked the question "What is the role of young people in these times of crisis?". The conference was organised by FES and the YAAN-Committee with participants from 18 African countries.’’