BY YOHANES JEMANEH
As one of the founding members of the Organization of African Unity, the current AU and as a leading nation that lent hands in the struggles for independence of African nations, Ethiopia is currently initiating various platforms that mobilize Africans for common goals. Coordinating the Green Legacy Initiatives and commencing the platforms for prospective African leaders are solid testimonies.
Ethiopia hosted the first African Youth Summit in Addis Ababa from 29 to 31 October, 2022. The summit’s goal is to promote pan-Africanist vision and sentiment among prospective young Africans, as well as to strengthen integration and Africa’s role in international issues. The summit, which is initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), was organized by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Former Ethiopian and other African leaders shared their experiences with the youth. The youth representatives from more than 50 African countries have attended the summit.
The Summit has showcased Ethiopia’s longstanding commitment to promote a pan-African vision as it is critical that Africans understand the concept of pan-Africanism. The summit has also provided an opportunity to enrich African youth’s understanding of pan-Africanism.
Young African leaders from all over the continent attended the summit, which will provide them with a broad continental perspective. Shortly, the summit aims to introduce the concept and philosophy of Pan-Africanism to the new generation of Africa and strengthen solidarity. It also aims to show the youth that Africa’s role as a continent in the international political system will be strengthened and to develop mutual ties.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Demeke Mekonnen said that Africa should work for the advancement and benefit of the youth by taking advantage of the favorable opportunities available at the continental level.
Demeke briefed the Ethiopian government’s wide-range efforts underway by engaging the youth in various voluntary services. He also asserted that the forum hosted by Ethiopia this time is an ideal platform to create connections by the youth leaders and to build partnerships.
During the Summit, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, on her part, remarked Africa should use the potential of the youth to build hope and development for the continent. She emphasized the importance of utilizing young people’s potential to advance global and continental change.
Head of the Ethiopian Youth League, Asfaw Tekele, also said that the same resilience of the Pan-African movement shall be repeated currently to development and growth of the continent.
The summit continued discussions on ways of promoting pan-African vision, strengthen integration among African youth tomorrow. For Asfaw, Ethiopia’s move on integrating African youths through undertaking public diplomacy is an important mechanism in which future African leaders could learn a sort of companionship on continental development. He mentioned that Ethiopia has made inspirational works in this regard through mobilizing African youths to implement continent-wide green legacy initiatives.
It is to be recalled that Ethiopian youth delegates had been planting trees in various countries including Djibouti and South Sudan. On Oct 15, 2022 Ethiopian Plant African Fraternity youth delegation has planted trees in Djibouti. Residents of Djibouti have also joined the Ethiopian youths in the tree planting session in the presence of Ambassador of Ethiopia to Djibouti, Berhanu Tsegaye, Deputy Head of Democratic System Building Center at the Office of the Prime Minister, Ambassador Hassen Abdulkadir and Agriculture Minister of Djibouti, Ahmed Mohammed Awaleh. Ambassador Berhanu Tsegaye said on the occasion that the tree planting event is a testimony how Ethiopia and Djibouti are joining hands to plant root that will bear fruit for mutual prosperity.
On the other hand, similar event had taken place on Oct 14, 2022 in South Sudan where Ethiopian youths planted trees accompanied by their South Sudanese peer mates.
During the tree planting program, Ethiopia’s youth delegation together with senior government officials from both sides, planted about 500 seedlings in Juba under the banner of the Plant African Fraternity event. During the occasion, Zadig Abraha, Democracy Building Center Coordinator Cluster Head at Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Office, lauded Ethiopia’s and South Sudan’s relations and urged the two countries to work together to achieve the goals of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Green Legacy initiative to combat the effects of climate change.
For his part, the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports of South Sudan, Albino Bol Dhieu, said Ethiopia is a symbol of Pan-Africanism and appreciated the Green Legacy initiative in solidifying the already strong Ethiopian and South Sudanese relations by creating linkages with the youth of the two countries.
Ethiopian Ambassador in South Sudan, Nebil Mhadi said the event manifested the historical and intertwined deep relations between the peoples of Ethiopia and South Sudan. “Ethiopia expresses its eagerness to build layer upon layer of the best relations between the two countries’ youth,” he said.
A panel discussion was also held on the bilateral relationships between the two countries in the presence of Ethiopian community members in South Sudan and representatives of South Sudan’s youth, among others.
In fact, Ethiopia’s Green Legacy initiative is paying off as the country is getting more rain that boost productivity thereby boost the national capacity of providing more product to local as well as global market. Moreover, Ethiopians have learnt that joining hands on natural protection and agricultural projects help to secure food security.
Ethiopians will attain their food security goals, overcome hurdle, and see the country thrive as they work together, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said On Oct 29, 2022 after a field visit of cluster wheat farm in East Shewa Zone alongside the Oromia region chief administrator and other senior government officials.
After visiting the wheat farms, PM Abiy tweeted, “In East Shewa Zone’s Dugda and Bora woredas, eight thousand farmers have successfully grown wheat through cluster farming on 31,000 hectares of land. We will attain our food security goals, overcome hurdles, and see our country thrive as we work together”.
The Green Legacy efforts that undertaken by the youth from Ethiopia and the other African countries will bear fruit in the long run in terms of economic, social and political cooperation that could boom the development of the continent in the shortest possible time. Therefore investing more on youth cooperation must be strengthened since it flickers hope for the youngest continent.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2022
