Establishing an International Association of National Youth Service (IANYS) regional body in AfricaVenue: FNB Conference and Learning Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

Date: Tuesday, 18 October, 2011

1 Welcome and introduction

Purpose of the meeting To share the outcomes of the Africa regional meeting

held at the IANYS conference in Egypt 2010 and the subsequent South Africa Working Group meeting held in March 2011

To discuss the possibility of establishing a regional IANYS body in Africa

Participants introduce themselves

2 Background

What is the International Association of National Youth Service?

A unique global network of practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and other professionals actively working to encourage countries worldwide to implement policies and programmes that support youth civic engagement.

Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) is the permanent secretariat of IANYS.

The Association was formed in 1996 at the third Global Conference on National Youth Service, and has grown to include participants from 48 different countries on six continents.

Its governing body, the Global Council, consists of 14 experts on youth service from 13 countries around the world.

2 Background (2)

What African participants decided at the conference in Alexandria, October 2010

Participants were unanimous about the need for a common African platform to discuss NYS and youth civic engagement issues peculiar to Africa as a whole and to develop an African perspective on critical matters.

African Working Group - Country members

Ghana, Egypt, South Africa (coordinator), Senegal, Mali, Namibia.

3 Motivation for ‘IANYS Africa’

Share best practices in national youth service and lessons learnt

Develop models for NYS and youth civic engagement that respond to the varied conditions in different African countries

Generate mandates to influence regional and pan-African developments in national youth service

Contribute to shaping national policy and practice on the basis of these interactions

Inform the agenda of the bi-annual IANYS conference from an African perspective.

4 Recommendations fromSouth African working group

Elements of a vision for the body Structured exchange programmes with the region: Africans

serving Africa Intersectoral / cross-sectoral engagement of youth: state,

private sector, parastatal, NGO, faith-based, etc Well developed African solutions presented at a global level

representing continent-wide interests A developed, clear and unified voice; a branded identity Place youth service participants at the centre are brand

ambassadors / representatives of the body Address issues of skill portability (hard and soft skills) Ally initiative with AU, but not subordinate to it Lobby for youth interests and AU Youth Charter Form a central repository for information about youth issues

and service in Africa Set up a body with offices and pan-African resources

4 Recommendations fromSouth African working group (2)

Objectives for the initiative Initiate and implement country exchange programmes to

foster a sense of continental citizenship and voluntarism Foster and maintain partnerships with all relevant

stakeholders in youth service Develop continental currency & portability Promote NYS on the continent as a viable platform for

proactive youth service, development and leadership Develop an African body of knowledge and use this to

influence global discourse Engage young people as decision-makers and leaders of the

body Lobby for the active socio-economic participation of youth

through civic engagement

4 Recommendations fromSouth African working group (3)

Some options for an organisational structure Membership-based (by country)

Incentive for joining? Should membership should be open to all organisations?

A network/loose association Rotating secretariat A registered international not-for-profit organisation

with its own Board. How could this be supported and sustained? Whatever the coordinating mechanism adopted, it

should be able to capture the attention of country governments.

4 Recommendations fromSouth African working group (4)

Issues to consider Determine the scope of the African IANYS Determine how the African Youth Charter relates to

NYS and youth civic engagement Clarify the differences between NYS and youth civic

engagement Engagement with regional structures (AU, COMESA,

SADC, ECOWAS, etc) Other?