AU-EU Youth Lab Kicks Off in Addis Ababa: A New Era of Youth Empowerment
On Monday, October 14, 2024, young changemakers from Africa and Europe gathered at the Abrehot Library in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the official launch of the AU-EU Youth Lab Programme. This exciting event sets the stage for a new chapter in youth empowerment, with a focus on giving young people the tools and platforms they need to shape the future of the Africa-EU partnership.
A Bold Vision for Youth Engagement
The AU-EU Youth Lab is more than just a programme—it’s a movement. Its goal? To make sure young people have a real say in the decisions shaping their lives. With the overarching objective of empowering youth across Africa, the Youth Lab is all about getting young people involved in bold, innovative ways to create positive change.
Speaking at the launch, H.E. Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, emphasized the importance of building connections to create power and opportunity for youth. She stated, “If you want to have power, you have to have connections. We launched the AU-EU Youth Lab because we believe that we should strengthen people-to-people connections.” She also highlighted Africa’s youthful population, noting, “We have the biggest youth generation in history. In Africa, out of the 1.3 billion citizens, 70% are below 30 years old. I think it is fair that young people in Africa have a seat around the table, their voice is heard, and that they can impact.”
Here’s what the AU-EU Youth Lab aims to achieve:
Youth-Centered Policy Making: Making Africa-EU policies more youth-responsive and inclusive so that young voices are part of the decision-making process.
Building Youth Power: Helping young people and youth organizations develop the skills and confidence to advocate for what matters most to them—whether that’s at the community level or on the global stage.
Sparking Collaboration: Supporting creative youth-led projects between African and European youth through small grants that fund fresh, impactful ideas.
A Significant Milestone in Youth Advocacy
Marking the event as a breakthrough in youth collaboration, Ms. Prudence Ngwenya, AUC Director of Women, Gender, and Youth, celebrated the programme’s launch, saying, “Today marks a significant milestone in our collective journey towards empowering youth and fostering collaboration between Africa and Europe. The launch of the AU-EU Youth Lab is the realization of a shared vision of placing youth at the center of development, innovation, and governance across our two continents.”
From Youth Plug-In to Youth Lab: Building on Success
The AU-EU Youth Lab didn’t just start from scratch. It’s the latest phase of the AU-EU Youth Track, an initiative first launched at the 2017 AU-EU Summit in Abidjan, which focused on “Investing in Youth.” After previous successes like the Youth Plug-In Initiative (YPII) and the Youth Hub, the Youth Lab represents the next big step toward giving young people even more influence and opportunities.
What’s Next for Young Leaders?
The launch event which saw the participation of Representatives of the CSOs consortia implementing the Lab programme, Members of the Lab’s Youth Advisory Boards, Youth representatives identified by the AUC, Members of the EU Youth Sounding Board in Ethiopia, Youth focal points at EU Member States Embassies and Young influencers in Addis Ababa; was just the beginning. The AU-EU Youth Lab is now in full swing, and it’s looking for young innovators, advocates, and changemakers to step up and take part in shaping the future of both continents. With support from this programme, the youth of today will become the leaders of tomorrow, driving real solutions for the challenges we face today.
Don’t be left out!
The future is in the hands of the next generation—and the AU-EU Youth Lab is here to make sure young people are leading the way. With big ideas, real support, and meaningful action, this is the start of something truly game-changing.
