BY GIRMACEHW GASHAW
Africa has the youngest population in the world with more than 400 million young people aged between the ages of 15 to 35 years. Such a youthful population calls for an increase of investment in economic and social development factors, in order to improve the development index of African nations.
On the other hand, the continent has not been preparing itself for the new generation to come as the conflict between two and more groups make the continent restless. As a result, the continent has no time to think about development projects that go together with its Agenda 2063: the Africa we want.
Continental organizations such as AU have developed several youth development policies and programmes aimed at ensuring the continent benefits from its demographic dividend. The policies include the Africa Youth Charter, Youth Decade Plan of Action, and the Malabo Decision on Youth Empowerment, all of which are implemented through various AU Agenda 2063 programmes.
The African Youth Charter protects young people from discrimination and ensures freedom of movement, speech, association, religion, ownership of property and other human rights, while committing to promoting youth participation throughout society.
The Youth Decade Plan of Action focuses on 5 key priority areas namely: Education and Skills Development, Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship, Governance, Peace and Security, Youth Health and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights and Agriculture, Climate Change and the Environment.
If things are arranged for them, the Africa youths have the passion and commitment to be involved in the various development endeavors. The Africa we want: Agenda 2063 will be a reality, if the continent utilizes the ever increasing youth population to protect the environment.
More recently, the 2022 African Youth for Peace Program conference, jointly organized by the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, Ministry of Defense, and the East African Standby Force has brought together youth from over 10 countries, including Ethiopia.
During the meeting and the visit carried out in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has shown the bold step taken in climate action. Accordingly, the youth understood that as part of the Green Legacy Initiative, which was launched in 2019, 20 billion trees have been and are being planted across the country over four years.
So far, 4 billion seedlings were planted in 2019, including the infamous record-breaking 353 million seedlings in one day, while in 2020, 5 billion seedlings were planted. In 2021, 6 billion trees will be planted. This year alone, an additional 6 billion seedlings are ready to be planted.
Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative aims to curb the effects of climate change and deforestation. Caring for the nation involves the protection of our citizens. Just as caring for the land that sustains us involves endeavors like our Green Legacy initiative Ethiopia is working to play its own role by mobilizing the people of the continent for common wellbeing. A system is being set up for the youth of Ethiopia in order to be part of the peace-building activities and benefit the development in the country.
Here it is quite imperative to cite youth volunteerism activities that have been carried out in the country. One area of engagement is planting trees so as to protect tomorrow’s environment. In this regard the youth has greatly contributed to the nation’s green legacy initiative planting 20 billion seeds within four years.
Learning from their peers’ experience, the youth who came to Addis to participate in the African Youth for Peace Program conference vowed to do the same while returning to their countries.
Participants of the 2022 African Youth Conference for Peace Program commended Ethiopia’s environmental protection measures and pledged to replicate Green Legacy in their respective countries. Some participants of the conference and members of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) planted trees in the Gullele Botanic Garden July 14/2022.
The Ugandan youth, Nkakaire Anthony, who participated in this fourth round Green Legacy campaign, told local media that he did not know the initiative was on such a grand scale and was overwhelmed to see it in person.
Having a green belt in Africa will help not only Africa but also the entire world, he noted, adding that “I am so happy that I am part of something big in Ethiopia and in Africa as a whole.”
“I have really learned a lot from Ethiopia, but one of the biggest lessons I am taking back home is ensuring every youth out there preaches the gospel of planting trees in the compound, community, district, city and village,” the Ugandan vowed.
Anthony stated that he believes that Africans should start teaching the young generation as far as the elementary school in protecting the environment. “This is because the future of Africa is determined by what is happening in the current generation.”
The Burundian youth, Blandine Niyongere said that being part of the Ethiopian Green Legacy can help the youth to come together for everything, besides environmental protection.
“African countries should learn that the trees we have are not enough and we should add. As climate change and pollution is a problem, it is a kind of preserving nature and the land. We need trees to protect the environment so that tomorrow we do not regret having destroyed our land. So we need this legacy to go over and over around generations,” she elaborated.
Through the Green Legacy campaign, Ethiopia has planted tree seedlings in billions during the past three years.
To sum up, Ethiopia has become the model to all African countries in showing how the agenda 2063; Africa would be practical. As we know all, one of the goals of Agenda 2063 is creating environmentally sustainable and climate resilient economies and communities.
Sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity conservation, sustainable consumption and production patterns, water security, climate resilience and natural disasters preparedness and prevention, and renewable energy are priority areas set under the goal mentioned earlier.
If the African countries follow the steps that Ethiopia has been striving to achieve, the Agenda 2063 will surely be realized and the continent can protect the untapped resource it has for posterity.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 19 JULY 2022
