【TICAD Ministerial Meeting Thematic Event】Africa-Japan Youth Drive: The Co-creation of the Future We Want was held!

Event title：「Africa-Japan Youth Drive: The Co-creation of the Future We Want」

Date: August 24, 2024

Co-organizers:

Africa Diaspora Network Japan (ADNJ)
Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN)
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Volunteer Programme (UNV)

Place:
Hotel New Otani, Tokyo/ ・Zoom

Participants：Over 100 attendees (TICAD Ministerial Meeting participants, co-organizers’ , medias, etc.)

Speakers：
・Opening Remarks：Mr. Naoki Ando, Senior Vice President of JICA
・Power of Youth
　Mr. David Kpondehou, President, Africa Diaspora Network in Japan (ADNJ)
　Ms. Yuki Yasumiba, Co-Founder, Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN)
・Moderator
　Ms. Fatoumatta Mboge-Ba, Special Advisor to Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP
　Mr. Shuhei Ueno, Deputy Director General (for Planning and TICAD Process), Africa Department, JICA
・Panelists
　Mr. Kabarebe James, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation, Rwanda
　Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary General and Regional Director for Africa, UNDP
　Ms. Takako Suzuki, MP, House of Representatives
　Mr. Mutsuo Iwai, Senior Vice Chairperson, Japan Association of Corporate Executives
　Mr. Gwei Michael Wawa, CEO and Founder, Wandaprep LLC.
　Ms. Yukie Fujioka, Peacebuilding Specialist (UN Volunteer), UNDP The Gambia Office
　Ms. Ami Nishijima, Co-Founder, Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN)
　Mr. David Kpondehou, President, Africa Diaspora Network in Japan (ADNJ)
　Mr. Naru Yamagishi, CEO, Uzuri
・Message to Youth: Ms. Kinuko Yamamoto, Director and Executive Vice President, Pasona Group Inc.
・Closing Remarks：Mr. Yoichi Fukazawa, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Japan

Africa Asia Youth Nest (AAYN) and Africa Diaspora Network Japan (ADNJ), youth groups in Africa and Japan, have been working towards a “youth proposal” for TICAD 9.　JICA supports their activities together with other organizations.
AAYN, ADNJ, and other youth representative teams have conducted an online survey of 300 people to collect their visions for the future of Japan and Africa. They have also held discussions to develop action plans and policy proposals towards TICAD 9 using the Future Design method. In order to further deepen their proposals, we have decided to organize this event to have an intergenerational panel discussion. One of the objectives is also to attract the attention of partners, including African countries, to the policy proposals for next year.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Naoki Ando, Senior Vice President of JICA, stressed the importance of “Youth” and “Co-creation” in JICA’s cooperation with Africa. The co-creation can be realized between Japan and Africa, between the private and public sectors, and between youth and senior generations. With this regard, he expressed his interest in the discussion and “Youth Proposal” towards TICAD 9.

Mr. David Kpondehou, President of ADNJ, and Ms. Yuki Yasumiba, Co-founder of AAYN explained that the draft proposals had been developed through a questionnaire and discussions using Future Design conducted by 50 Japanese and African young people, and that based on today's event, they would like to improve the proposals for next year's TICAD 9 as “Future We Want (Ideal Future)”.

In an intergenerational panel discussion based on the theme “Future We Want”, moderated by Ms. Mboge-Ba, Special Advisor to Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, UNDP, and Mr. Shuhei Ueno, Deputy Director General, Africa Department, JICA, the panelists - five representatives of Japanese and African youth and four representatives of the middle and senior generation - discussed the following three themes derived from the series of “Youth Proposal” processes to date.
- 　　Fostering/investing in/building change makers from youth
- 　　Enhancing people-to-people relationships by facilitating human mobility and social cohesion (co-existence)
- 　　Promoting youth empowerment by involving them in the decision-making processes including TICAD

The panelists representing young people spoke on each theme, for example, about the need to promote investment in young people who have a lot of potential, the importance of allowing for failure in this process, the usefulness of mentors with experience, the need to work on bringing Japan and Africa closer physically and mentally as there is a lot to learn and co-create through exchanges, the need to realize a system whereby the voices of young people are heard and incorporated into decision-making, the desirability of youth councils in African countries and Japan-Africa Councils, etc.

The representatives of the middle and senior generations stressed the importance of investing in young people in response to the voices of the representatives of the youth generation. They also said that “voice, value and volunteerism” should be respected based on their experiences in their youth;Japanese companies should co-create with young people, ABE Initiative and Tobitate! Study Abroad Initiative that provide opportunities for young people should be continued and expanded;more efforts should be made to promote exchanges;and TICAD by youth should be considered.

At the end of the panel discussion, Ms. Yamamoto, Director and Executive Vice President, Pasona Group Inc. gave a message that her company is also actively supporting youth, that the private sector and others must respond to the enthusiasm of them, and that she hoped they would continue with activities like this to make their “voices” heard.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Yoichi Fukazawa, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs concluded the event, which had been filled with the energy of youth from Japan and Africa, by stating that he looked forward to policy proposals from the youth and that the Japanese Government would like to support the activities of Japanese and African youth in the lead-up to TICAD 9.

After the closing remarks, an African cloth kimono fashion show was held, representing the fusion of Japanese and African culture, which lit up the venue.

In the lead-up to the TICAD 9 main meeting next August, JICA will continue to support these activities of Japanese and African youth.