'Youth must be experts, not just activists'
“If we can support young people to stop just having the title of activist or advocate and instead become experts, a lot of these issues facing youth – including SHRH – will be addressed,” Eyeru said.
UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Lydia Zigomo and UNFPA Uganda Representative Gift Malunga at a youth-focused dialogue during ARSFD 11 in Kampala. (Courtesy photos)
Jacky Achan
Journalist @New Vision
________________
Young people should move beyond being labelled merely as “activists” or “advocates” and instead become experts in key development areas if they are to effectively address the challenges they face.
The chairperson of Uganda’s National Youth Council (NYC) remarked during a powerful youth-focused dialogue at the 11th Africa Regional Sustainable Development Forum (ARSFD 11) that was held in Kampala from April 9 to 11.
Speaking during the youth side event attended by UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Lydia Zigomo, UNFPA Uganda Representative Gift Malunga, and several leaders of youth-led organisations in Uganda, Eyeru emphasised the need to equip young people with specialised knowledge and skills that can lead to practical, impactful solutions – particularly in critical areas such as Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), climate change and youth employment.
“If we can support young people to stop just having the title of activist or advocate and instead become experts, a lot of these issues facing youth – including SHRH – will be addressed,” Eyeru said.
Beyond grants
Eyeru challenged development partners such as UNFPA to go beyond traditional grants and research programmes and invest in advanced education opportunities for youth in strategic fields.
“We should not just run a research grant. What if UNFPA piloted scholarships – maybe to Southern Africa, the Ivy League schools, or anywhere – for a master’s programme that feeds into these areas? Maybe then we will see better solutions on the ground,” he proposed.
Eyeru also emphasised the importance of placing young people at the global conversation tables where development, climate, education and health policies, among other things, are being shaped.
“Let us fund young people on exposure,” he urged.
"There are many international platforms – the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the Conference of the Parties (COP) – where if distinct young people attended annually, they would learn how the world is uniting around these issues.”
The remarks aligned closely with SDG4, which focuses on ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Tackling the challenges
A major concern raised by Eyeru was the lack of coordination among development agencies, which often leaves young people navigating a confusing maze of referrals and bureaucracy.
“When a youth issue touches employment, we are told to go to UNDP. If it’s climate, we are redirected again. If it touches gender, it is UN Women. The fragmentation slows real progress,” he noted.
UNFPA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa Lydia Zigomo and UNFPA Uganda Representative Gift Malunga, engage youth at ARSFD 11 in Kampala.
However, he commended Uganda’s pilot of the Joint UN Youth Programme as a model for more unified action.
“This programme has gone a long way in helping us engage the entire UN system at once. We are able to raise issues from refugee communities, rural youth and political youth in a coordinated, responsive way.”
This type of integrated approach contributes directly to SDG 8, which promotes productive employment and decent work for all, especially youth.
Continued dialogue and support
Eyeru called for consistent engagement between youth and development partners – even virtually.
“If there is a way to fund these meetings to continue – even if it is online, once a quarter – let us have them,” Eyeru appealed. “Let us keep these conversations alive.”
The theme of the 11th session of ARFSD, which was opened by President Yoweri Museveni, was “Driving job creation and economic growth through sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”
This theme reflected an imperative to boost economic growth and employment while safeguarding social inclusion and environmental stewardship, recognising that Africa – like the rest of the world – must ramp up efforts to achieve the SDGs.
As a result, the Forum’s objectives included a thorough regional appraisal of progress and challenges in implementing both the UN 2030 Agenda and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
There was also an in-depth review of five priority SDGs– namely, SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – alongside their corresponding targets in Agenda 2063.
The youth side event marked a vibrant moment of youth engagement at ARSFD 11, reinforcing the importance of meaningful youth participation and collaboration in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Comments
No Comment