More than 100 youth from Africa and Europe are expected to converge in Berlin, Germany, for a conference aimed at promoting youth participation in policy making and governance. The delegates will discuss topics, such as industry, research and energy, constitutional affairs, the environment, public health, food safety and human rights.
Dubbed the “European-African Youth Parliament (EAYP)”, the conference is scheduled to take place from March 27 to April 4, 2014. It is organised by the Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF), a youth advocacy organisation in Ghana, and the Euro Youth Parliament (EYP) in Europe and funded by the German Government.
At a ceremony to launch the conference in Accra, the Executive Director of YBF, Mr Seth Oteng, said one objective of the conference was to help the youth participate in governance issues. It was also expected that the conference would foster relations between the two continents, Mr Oteng said, adding that partnership between the two continents is recognised as cooperation and not dependency.
Based on observations by the EYP and the YBP, Mr Oteng said, the EAYP was conceived to create a broader platform to mobilise youth from the two continents to enhance their participation in governance issues.
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr John Ruediger, said the conference would offer a unique experience to the delegates, since Ghanaian youth would have the chance to meet other youth from Africa, as well as Europe, to discuss common issues confronting them.
He said the challenges facing the youth in both continents were similar and consequently advised the delegates to use the platform to deliberate on solutions through the exchange of ideas and knowledge. Mr Ruediger said Africa had great potential in its youth which needed to be exploited. He urged the delegates to also exploit recreational sites in Berlin and enjoy their stay.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mrs Sena Siaw-Boateng, urged the delegates to share their experiences and knowledge with other youth when they returned from the conference.
Source: GhanaWeb
