Volunteering – AfrikaInitiativee.V.

German-African Youth Initiative

This is the reason why we gathered in Bonn from the 29th of June to the 1st of July 2016. This International Conference was organised by the GermanFederal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Conference, presided over by the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development His Excellency Gerd Müller saw the signing of a new partnership that will enable young volunteers from Africa to come and spend up to a year in Germany. Young Germans between the ages of 18 to 28 years have been going to spend a year to teach in certain schools in Tanzania, Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Kenya and other African countries but following this new partnership, young Africans will also come and spend a year in Germany. In attendance was also the Prime Minister of the state of NRW Mrs Hannelore Kraft. On the 30th of June, there were specialist forums with the following themes: Mainstreaming Youth: Role of Youth exchanges in Africa, Beyond school exchange, Contact without travel: Digital networks and intercontinental partnerships and Forming the world together after youth exchange. On the 1st of July, the following Specialist Forums were held: Demands and Realilty: How can equal youth exchange contribute to sustainable development and partnership? Capacity building for African actors: The role of education for sustainable development, Youth as a regenerator of country and city partnership, Striving towards equity in youth exchange, sensitivity to descrimination in youth exchange, Youth exchange and community development, the SDG 17 Global partnerships and sustainable development, Acquiring skills for work and life through youth exchange, preparing African volunteers, overcoming digital borders, quality standards in youth exchange and Global partnerships for youth exchange.

Launch / Coup d’envoi / Auftakt

Datum:	Donnerstag, 30. Juni bis Freitag, 1. Juli 2016
Ort:	Bonn
Absender:	Engagement Global
Anmeldeschluss:	1. Juni 2016

Launch / Coup d’envoi / Auftakt

Launch of the African-German Youth Initiative (AGYI)

What motivates young people in Germany and African countries? How can we solve global challenges of our ‘One World’, together? How important are collaborative partnerships for youth exchanges? And how can modern media support international engagement?

These are some of the questions being addressed by the African-German Youth Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to promote youth exchanges between Germany and African countries, while relying on existing voluntary service and exchange programmes. Furthermore, the initiative intends to strengthen African and German civil society.

The AGYI will be officially launched on 30 June 2016. Under the motto “Shaping tomorrow’s world today – global responsibility, youth participation”, Federal Minister Dr. Gerd Müller, and the Minister President of North Rhine Westphalia, Ms. Hannelore Kraft, alongside senior officials of the African Union and German and African civil society, will discuss the implementation of “Agenda 2030 for sustainable development”, adopted last September by the United Nations. The day will offer a diverse programme which ends at 22:00.

On 1 July 2016, you are invited to take part in dialogue exchanges with various representatives from government structures, and members of German and African civil society .The various possibilities and operating principles of the AGYI will be presented, in particular the consulting and funding opportunities as well as the new African partnership structure. Youth groups will share their experiences and initiatives of African-German youth exchanges, and will give insight into their activities. We encourage and invite you to participate in the specialist forums, where you can learn about and discuss key issues such as: How can we as partners contribute to a comprehensive image of Germany and Africa; what does partnership in the context of youth exchanges mean; what role does modern media play in the digital age; or how can music have an impact in solving global challenges?

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The launch of AGYI will take place in Bonn together with the ‘ZukunftsTour’ – themed ‘ONE WORLD – Our Responsibility’. The ’ZukunftsTour’ is a roadshow across all German states since 2015, promoting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It spreads the message of the Charter of the Future, a process initiated by Federal Minister Dr. Gerd Müller in 2014. The ‘ZukunftsTour’ is organised by Engagement Global on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and in cooperation with the respective German states.

Program
Thursday, 30. June 2016
09.00-14.30	Zukunftswerkstatt Zukunftstour Bonn
12.00-13.30	Global Responsibility-Young participation
	Speech Hannelore Kraft, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia
	Speech Dr. Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development
	Keynote S.E. Dr. Martial De – Paul Ikounga , Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology at the African Union
	Dialogue changes the world: Young people in discussion
	Symbolic start of the African-German Youth Initiative (AGYI)
13.30-14.30	Lunch break
14.30-16.00	Start of the scientific part of the AGYI opening event: Move it ! – Youth Exchange as an engine for global partnerships
	Panel discussion “Youth Exchange as an engine for global partnerships” – Panel with state guests from pilot countries and representatives of youth
16.00-18.30	Professional forums “Potential of youth exchanges for global partnerships and commitment” 4 parallel specialist forums, in addition to theme islands
18.30	Start of the evening program
22.00	End

Friday, 1 July 2016
08.30	Admission and Registration
09.15-09.45	Official welcome by Birgit Pickel (BMZ, Head of Civic Engagement, weltwärts, Engagement Global) and Dr Beatrice Njenga (AU Commission)
09.45-12.00	Professional forums “Demands and Reality: What can equal youth exchange contribute to sustainable development and partnership?” 6 parallel forums, in addition to theme islands
12.00-13.30	Lunch break
13.30-15.45	Professional forums “Good Practices – How Youth Exchange is lived” 6 parallel specialist forums, in addition to theme islands
15.45-16.40	Roundtable with civil AGYI stakeholders on the topic “Connecting horizons: The future of the African-German Youth Initiative”
16.40-17.00	Conclusion by Birgit Pickel (BMZ) and Dr Beatrice Njenga (AU Commission)