Why The Forum?
Our Mission
Global Aid for Africa (GAA), is advancing the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework, especially target “3” and its goals as the main vehicle for implementation of the framework opportunity to support indigenous youth and youth from local communities, a global commitment to 30×30 across Africa.
Young people voice around grassroot and local communities COP 15 to support protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030 while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples.
Indigenous Youths
Out of every 10 indigenous youth and youth from local communities only 0 or 1 out of 10 (10% out of 100%), knows about target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework, this is still a huge challenge for Africa to achieve the SDGs of the UN agenda by 2030.
Couple with the COVID-19 pandemic that has exposed and exacerbated economic, societal, and environmental challenges globally and especially in Africa. The ripple effects of the largescale worldwide disruption brought about by the Pandemic are expected to continue for many years to come.
The Pandemic
It is envisaged that the COVID-19 pandemic will affect resource availability far into the future and put further pressure on the African region’s already severely constrained resources, reinforcing the need to develop safeguards, especially to protect the most vulnerable sectors of society including indigenous people and local communities that are the most adversely effected by the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Why indigenous youth and youth from local communities?
Indigenous youth and youth from local communities’ identities, cultures, spirituality, and lifeways are inextricably linked to biodiversity. IPLC community-based conservation institutions and local governance regimes have been effective in preventing habitat loss, often more effective than traditional conservation methods. Expanding recognition of IPLC land rights is an effective, moral, and affordable solution for protecting our African continent and preventing the Indigenous rights violations that have historically plagued many traditional conservation strategies.
Given the new reality of the global coronavirus pandemic and mounting evidence suggesting that coastal, deforestation and biodiversity loss enable the emergence of potentially dangerous pathogens, threats to the role of IPLCs as protectors of biodiversity has gained even greater urgency. Indigenous youth and youth from local communities and local knowledge systems are connected to and dependent on the local context, but their impact is regional and thus globally relevant.
Conserving nature must fully integrate and respect indigenous leadership and indigenous rights.
We can only achieve the goal of protecting at least 30% of our land and oceans by 2030 with full leadership of indigenous youth and youth from local communities.
The “30×30 African Youth Forum” is rooted in the principle that protecting biodiversity means protecting Indigenous rights and there is no possibility of achieving 30×30 without equitable partnership with Indigenous Peoples. GAA and partners are committed to partnering with IPLCs to ensure their priorities.
Global Aid for Africa (GAA) through it 30×30 African Youth Network Campaign has become a platform where young people in Africa can contribute to policy discussions through their collective ideas, solutions, and innovations.
30x30 African Youth Network Campaign
30x30 African Youth Network Campaign
30x30 African Youth Network Campaign. Young people voice around grassroot and local communities to implement target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework.
The forum will allow representatives and stakeholders to discuss strategies with Indigenous youth and youth from local communities focused organizations and networks, youth advocates and others to and explore ways and means of promoting and implanting the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework and its goals and targets as the main vehicle for implementation of the framework, including national targets especially target 3 that fully respect and integrates indigenous rights and indigenous leadership.
What The Forum Brings
Theme
The theme: “Engaging African Youth to Protect At least 30% of African Land and Ocean by 2030 that fully respect and integrates indigenous rights and Indigenous leadership” aimed to engage a large % of the entire youth population of the continent in identifying effective and efficient solution ideas to major problems and then mobilizing a large % of the entire population in highly effective initiatives to implement the best of those ideas Africa-wide in concerted, efficient 30x30.
30x30 Intervention
The 30x30 African Youth Forum is a civil society initiative, designed and promoted across Africa by Global Aid for Africa (GAA), in favor of Indigenous youth and youth from local communities and grassroot as an opportunity and a driving force to transform the economy and social fabric of Africa to consider indigenous youth and youth from local communities and grassroot as a priority in their policies and that will engage them in achieving the goals established.
The Big Aim
The forum will rally tens of millions of young Africans to achieve the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework that fully respect and integrates indigenous rights and indigenous leadership to bring about that Vision of Africa in 2030 and 2063, we need Africa to now be a continent with an entire generation of young people seeing beyond the Africa that is to the Africa that could be and striving energetically to make that could be Africa a reality.
Focus
The forum is aimed to design and amplify the collective impact of youth-led action to protect 30% of grassroot and local communities’ framework across Africa that fully respect and Integrates Indigenous rights and Indigenous Leadership approaches to conservation, is critical to achieving not only the goal of 30x30, but any lasting goal to safeguard nature for the future.
Forum Objectives
Provide an opportunity for indigenous youth and youth from local communities to express a vision of the future they want through 30×30 that fully respect and integrates indigenous rights and indigenous leadership.
Strengthen African youth on policy engagement around grassroot and local communities that respect and integrates indigenous rights and indigenous leadership.
Review and critically analyses existing issues regarding indigenous rights and indigenous leadership in Africa to identify gaps which need to be addressed and opportunities for progress including in the context of achieving 30×30.
To provide a platform for youth to engage in a dialogue with parties and stakeholders to implement and achieve the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework by 2030.
To promote innovative approaches and initiatives for advancing the African youth 30×30 development agenda at national, regional, and global levels with a view to promoting global (multilateral) solutions to the global challenge of the SDGs.
To share knowledge on achieving youth development by promoting the implementation 30×30 grassroot and local community youth Agenda.
To launch ideas and initiatives for collective action for people, planet, peace and prosperity.
Examine the needs and concerns of local communities and grassroot concerning indigenous rights and indigenous leadership and demonstrate the potential benefits of implementing 30×30.
Agree a process for developing 30×30 Indigenous youth and youth from local communities’ engagement structure in Africa (Framework).
Frame and develop 30×30 as key elements of the holistic Global Aid for Africa (GAA), partners agenda for restoring 30% of indigenous and local communities in Africa by 2030.
A forum focusing on these issues should be the first step in a process to chart a way forward for African youth to play a key role in achieving protection of 30% by 2030 through both domestic protections and advocacy.
The Big Question
Why attend?
The 30x30 African Youth Forum 2023 will bring together African youth leaders, Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs), across the continent, Civil Society organizations, International Cooperation’s, policy makers, African ministers, and senior government representatives of intergovernmental bodies. The forum will feature the target
Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs).
Youths
Policy Makers
Civil Society Organizations
International Cooperation’s
African inisters
and senior government representatives of intergovernmental bodies.
Audience
Decision Makers, Indigenous People and Local Communities (IPLCs), government representatives, Civil Society, local leaders, youth, and women (Playing critical role in attaining the vision), International bodies, NGOs, local journalists from across the continent.
Areas of Interventions
The forum will provide a unique and valuable platform for indigenous youth and youth from local communities:
Approach
The forum features two sessions.
- Part I: Exchange amongst Indigenous youth and youth from local communities
Cross-regional knowledge-sharing between indigenous youth and youth from local communities.
The first part of the gathering will serve as a meeting for indigenous youth and youth from local communities to discuss enhancement of meaningful participation of indigenous youth and youth from local communities (target 30×30 action plan).
- Part II: Dialogue with Parties and other stakeholders
Indigenous youth and youth from local communities with Party Representatives and other stakeholders
In the second part of the meeting, indigenous youth and youth from local communities will present recommendations on their meaningful participation in 30×30 action plan for the next 10 years. Parties, international organizations, constituted bodies under the Convention are invited to contribute to this discussion.
Supporting Subheading
30x30 African Youth Innovative Challenge
The forum will launch the 1st 30×30 indigenous youth and youth from local communities Innovation Challenge. The Challenge seeks young, passionate 30×30 practitioners, advocates and leaders who actively desire to work towards fulfilling the goals and missions inscribed in the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework (Target 3). Our objective is to provide a platform to young ideators who believe in conserving nature to support protecting at least 30% of the planet by 2030 while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and are motivated to effect change in their communities and beyond. The ability to work with peers across geographies and domains and incorporate diversity in teams to produce holistic solutions are prerequisites for contestants to realize their potential as change agents and social leaders. The 30×30 Africa Innovation Challenge and the 30×03 African Youth forum strategically intersect – in their goals, themes and motivation.
The forum challenges indigenous youth and youth from local communities’ participants to adopt the mindset of 30×30 activists and leading decision-makers so as to evolve as a change-agent reflectively. Through an open debate on the youth’s role in implementing and monitoring the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework (Target 3) envisaging innovations that unlock the road towards achieving the SDGs and networking with leaders, organizations and other key stakeholders in the forum, the youth undergo a metamorphosis as young, motivated, and passionate 30×30 leaders.
Aligned with the theme and focus areas of the 30×30 African Youth Forum, the Innovation Challenge aspires to engage 100+ participants from across Africa to yield 25+ solution ideas. A jury of renowned experts and practitioners in the respective areas as well as youth advocates, will evaluate these ideas to identify the most viable proposals / Start-Up Solutions in pre-specified categories, based on the focus areas of the event, for continued support. The top 10 solution ideas and the respective awards will be announced, where the winning teams will have the opportunity to present their solution idea on the 30×30 African Youth Forum 2024.
INSPIRE A CONTINENT OF HOPE
Speakers
The 30×30 African Youth forum fosters an inclusive, thought-provoking, constructive debate inspiring Africa’s future. We invited leaders from government, international organizations, UN bodies, and business to come together and offer leadership as a speaker or presenter during the forum. Join distinguished voices, from High Ambition Coalition (HAC), CBD, IPLCs to leading experts on 30×30 to young leaders themselves, in pushing the conversation forward.