OUR FUTURE, OUR VOICE!
WHAT IS THE OUR FUTURE, OUR VOICE CONSULTATION?
In the lead up to the The Summit of the Future (SoTF), a high-level, global one-off event at the United Nations in September 2024, the Our Future, Our Voice consultation sought the perspectives of African youth- and student-led organisations on what should be prioritised in the Summit's main outcome document, the 'Pact for the Future', which is currently being negotiated by all UN Member States.
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The Justice for Africa campaign, co-convened by the 100 Million campaign, All-Africa Students Union and Global Student Forum, organised this consultation ahead of the UN Civil Society Conference in May 2024, with the support the Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation US.
WHY CONSULT AFRICAN YOUTH AND STUDENT LEADERS?
The main focus of the SoTF is creating "a world – and an international system – that is better prepared to manage the challenges we face now and in the future, for the sake of all humanity and for future generations."
The global challenges we face now disproportionately impact African children and young people. Since 2015, global wealth has grown by over $12 trillion, yet in the same time period 10 million MORE African children are out of school and 16 million MORE are in child labour.
Africa also has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30 and by 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African. The future being discussed by world leaders at this summit is our future, and the voices of African young people and students must be at forefront.