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An opportunity for the youth of the African Union to enhance awareness of Agenda 2063 during the 11th African Games

The 11th African Games are currently taking place in Brazzaville, capital of the Congo, from September 4-19, 2015, bringing together over 8000 athletes from 50 Member States of the African Union, while 11,000 spectators are expected to attend those games.

The African Union, the major organiser of the Games, in collaboration with the Republic of Congo and COJA (African Games Organising Committee) has dispatched about 40 staff members to oversee and monitor the activities.

On September 4, 2015, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, attended the opening ceremony of the 11th African Games in the presence of His Excellency Denis Sassou Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, and his wife, as well as that of several African Heads of State and distinguished guests from Europe and Asia.

On September 9, 2015, Africa celebrated Africa Day. Following the appeal made by the organisation to all its Member States and to the African Diaspora to celebrate this day, the youths of the African Union, present in Brazzaville for the 11th African Games, conducted several media campaigns.

First of all, they participated in a television programme, “Say it”, presented by Mrs. Nathalie Foundou of Télé Congo, the Congolese National Television whose director is Mr. Obambi. It was a one-hour programme, half of which was devoted to a presentation of the African Union and of Agenda 2063, while the other half was a quiz game on the AU, Agenda 2063 and the current 11th African Games. That was followed by a broadcast on Radio Congo, the Congolese National Radio, which offered air time twice on the same day: in the morning, during the programme entitled “Tribune” presented by Mr. Yombi, Director General of the radio, who did the honour of welcoming in his studio four young people of the AU to talk mainly, for half an hour, about Africa Day, the role of the youth within the AU and their contribution with regard to Agenda 2063. In the afternoon, another half hour was devoted to quiz games of the African Union, presented by Mrs. Ghislaine Kinouani.

These broadcasts on the Congolese radio and TV met with a great deal of success given the wide public participation. The winners were given prizes by the AU. The two entities expressed for a greater presence of the AU and stronger collaboration with the national media.

Apart from those media activities, the AU, together with the Congolese government, organized a youth camp for young people between eight and fifteen coming from several African countries. The opening ceremony of the camp was followed by a detailed presentation, to the young participants, of the history of the AU/OAU, of the AU and its daily activities as well as of its vision and its flagship project for Africa: Agenda 2063. The presentation was made by Mr. Vukani Lumumba, Special Communication Advisor of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, together with Fatoumata Sylla, in charge of communication in the Bureau of the AUC Chairperson.

Therefore, to commemorate Africa Day, from other activities organized across the continent, the AU chose, in Brazzaville, to focus on the youth, to talk about their present and their future as well as their role and the prime space devoted to them in Agenda 2063. As one of the young people emphasised during an interview on Télé Congo, the AUC Chairperson holds the young Africans close to her heart and she sees to it that they are associated with everything that goes on within the African Union. Dr. Dlamini Zuma gives her support to the major programmes devoted to young people within the Commission: the youth volunteer programme and youth internship.

The celebration of Africa Day ended in a festive atmosphere on the game fields with the distribution of AU gifts to spectators and to the various delegations. The 11th African Games are still going on and will close on19th September 2015.

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