Are young people losing faith in traditional politics – or are they revolutionising what it means to get involved? This year’s Megatrends Lecture explored this compelling question and highlighted the complex realities that youth are facing in Africa and Europe today.
Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge, ©IDOS
IDOS project “Megatrends Afrika” organised the lecture jointly with the European Association for Research and Training Institutes (EADI) as well as the Center for Advanced and Strategic Studies at the University of Bonn (CASSIS).
Prof. Anna-Katharina Hornidge (Director IDOS & Professor of Global Sustainable Development, University of Bonn) highlighted in her opening remarks that young people are not only agents of change, but also rights holders. Instead of looking at their participation as a one time off event, young people’s participation in international fora and political processes needs to be institutionalised.
Thereafter, Dr Lena Gutheil (IDOS) facilitated a discussion in which experts Dr Michela Franceschelli (University College London), Sheila Chebet Ronoh (Coventry University) and Dr Godfred Bonnah Nkansah (Megatrends Afrika Fellow) discussed the implications of young people’s political engagement in Africa and Europe.
From left: Dr. Michaela Franceschelli, Dr. Godfred Bonnah Nkansah, Sheila Chebet Ronoh, Dr. Lena Gutheil
Today’s young generation around the world is more pessimistic about the future than before, as they face similar realities: economic insecurity, climate change, inequality and violent conflict. Many feel a sense of powerlessness and especially in Africa they experience that their governments do not deliver on their promises. This disillusionment can quickly turn into democratic apathy: young people vote less and are less often members of political parties than their older peers. Despite these challenges, the panellists stressed that Generation Z is not turning its back on politics. Instead, they are engaging in different and more creative ways – through digital activism, product boycotts and online protests. They are redefining political participation, focusing less on traditional channels and more on making their voices heard in new, often digital, ways.
