Summit for Democracy in Costa Rica: AfricTivistes presents a roadmap for youth participation and engagement
The second Summit for Democracy took place in Zambia, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea and the United States on 29 and 30 March 2023. AfricTivistes took part as a member of the leadership group of the Cohort for Youth Political and Civic Engagement.
This Summit for Democracy is an initiative of US President Joe Biden. Launched in 2021, its aim is to tackle current challenges to democracy and authoritarianism by building more resilient democracies, combating corruption and defending human rights.
Presentation of the Commitments Menu by AfricTivistes
As a member of the leadership cohort “for youth political and civic engagement”, AfricTivistes was represented at the summit in San José, Costa Rica, by its Programme Co-ordinator, Ms Aisha Dabo. On behalf of the cohort, Ms Dabo presented the Menu of Possible Commitments on Thursday 30 March. This presentation forms part of the effort to raise awareness of the commitments made by the Cohort for Youth Political and Civic Engagement.
The San José Summit brought together young people and representatives from governments, civil society and the private sector from various countries around the world. Several sessions were devoted to youth participation and engagement in consolidating and embedding democracy in South America, Africa and the rest of the world.
In her closing keynote speech, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Ms Linda Thomas-Greenfield, emphasised two points: 1) the need for the authorities to involve young people in political and public affairs; 2) the responsibility of young people to demonstrate leadership in order to rebuild and revitalise policies, economies and health systems.
“It is true that it is up to us to include you by giving you a seat at the table. However, it will be up to you to take your place at the head of the table,” she explained.
She praised the cohort’s outstanding work “in promoting political and civic engagement amongst young people”, as well as the leadership of the co-organisers: the European Commission, the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Nepal, the Republic of Costa Rica, the European Partnership for Democracy, the European Youth Network for Democracy and the NGO AfricTivistes. It should be noted that the Cohort carried out several initiatives prior to this Summit, notably the production of a handbook on youth participation and a menu of commitments which were presented at the Summit.
Overview of the Cohort Engagement Menu
The Cohort for Youth Political and Civic Engagement, bringing together around sixty civil society organisations, governments, international organisations, private sector partners and other types of organisations from around the world. It is structured in three concentric circles to enable the stakeholders involved to demonstrate greater commitment and take on more responsibility in order to contribute to the Year of Action in 2022.
The cohort’s vision is to promote young people’s political and civic engagement at local and global levels and to help them understand democratic principles and the link between democracy and long-term stability and prosperity in countries.
The 33 initiatives in the Menu revolve around the following themes:
- Prioritising young people’s voices in governance
- Supporting young people within the government
- Supporting young people’s freedom of expression
- Promoting a culture of political participation amongst young people
- Promoting a culture of human rights amongst young people
In February 2023, at the Global Coalition for Democracy Forum held in Belgium, the ‘Menu of Possible Commitments’ was officially presented by the Cohort in the run-up to this month’s second Summit for Democracy.
At the first Summit for Democracy, the participating states committed to carrying out significant, clear and concise reforms to promote democracy in their countries. This year, they have outlined theprogress made in relation to these commitments and have announced further commitments and initiatives.
The Summit for Democracy comprises 16 cohorts, each of which includes governments, civil society organisations, institutions, etc. The cohorts act as catalysts for change by monitoring and reinforcing existing commitments and by setting out a vision for democratic renewal following the second summit.
AfricTivistes and its involvement in the Youth Democracy Cohort
As a member of the Cohort’s leadership group, AfricTivistes worked on the list of commitments to ensure it was as representative as possible of African realities. It should be noted that this pan-African organisation focuses primarily on youth engagement and civic participation through digital technologies.
We are part of the Cohort to contribute our practical experience of innovative approaches to engagement and the participation of young people and civil society actors, particularly through digital means. Our participation in the leadership cohort for the Summit for Democracy is therefore entirely natural.
On 27 March, the President of AfricTivistes, Mr Cheikh Fall, took part – as a representative of the Cohort for Youth Political and Civic Engagement – in the launch of the Declaration of Democratic Principles by global civil society. Through 14 key democratic principles, global civil society calls on states to take the measures recommended for each principle in order to collectively strengthen shared ideals and address common threats. This Declaration complements the governments’ “Declaration of Principles”, presented at the second Summit for Democracy.
For more information on the Youth and Engagement Cohort: https://youthdemocracycoh
