2024 African Youth Congress to be held in Uganda

The Africa Kin Education Resource Centre (AKERC) has revealed that Uganda will host the 2024 edition of the African Youth Congress (AYC).

The AYC is a platform that brings together young people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds to discuss pressing issues affecting the continent and to develop innovative solutions to address them.

According to Rogers Kalema, the Congress has been held in various countries across Africa since its inception in 2014 and has proven to be a powerful platform for fostering collaboration, networking, and capacity-building among young Africans.

AKERC boasts of a 3,500-cadre membership all over Africa with staunch pan-Africanists dedicated to strengthening the African civilisations.

“These pan-Africanists work endlessly to ensure Africa attains her dream of becoming a global power,” Kalema said on May 18, 2024, at Imperial Royale Hotel Kololo in Kampala during the launch.

President Museveni is expected to be the guest of honour at the event with the expected representation of 55 countries as well as leaders from the African Union, East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

“We have been involved in various pan-African efforts including the COVID-19 fight measures promotion, wealth creation campaigns, literacy campaigns, African integration initiatives support and cultural promotion,” he added.

The 2024 edition of the AYC is scheduled to take place in Kampala, from September 10-11, 2024, at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort. The theme of the Congress is “Africanism: Modernize Along Culture,” and it shall feature a range of activities, including plenary sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.

The Congress will focus on various topics, including entrepreneurship, leadership, education, health, and technology, with a particular emphasis on how young people can contribute to achieving the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Kalema noted that they have invited young people from all over Africa to participate in the Congress, and applications are now open all over the continent. The organisers are expecting over 1,000 participants, including young leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, activists, and students.

The State Minister of Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi cautioned the youth against engaging in corruption saying that it has been hampering President Museveni’s efforts to deliver quality services to Ugandans.

“It is high time you mobilized and sensitised all the young people about the concept of African roots and advanced the cause for the African development agenda,” he said.

Barugahara called on the youth to support leaders who will protect the culture and peace of Uganda as it has been since 1986.

“Do not be wasteful when organizing meetings and doing work on behalf of the government. Be transparent in managing government resources and compel your colleagues to fight corruption. When you do that, we shall push a new Uganda that we shall soon see in the coming years,” he concluded.