Hon. Wavel Woodcock, 4th Vice-Chair of the Youth Caucus, attended and moderated two sessions of the 2nd African Youth Dialogue held in Rabat, Morocco. The theme of the event was “The promotion of good governance through the elimination of hunger and malnutrition: Enhancing of the role of young parliamentarians and the youth in Africa’s legislature”. The event was organized by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Youth Caucus and hosted by the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco. The aim of the Rabat Dialogue is to bring awareness to the challenges presented through food insecurity and “take advantage of the democratic dividend” presented by the African youth.
On the 4th December, the event was officially opened by H.E. Rachid Talbi Alami, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco, who noted that “young people are the key to achieving the African renaissance”. The first discussion moderated by Hon. Woodcock was one centered on the role of human rights and rule of law in empowering the role of youth. Included was the Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion Initiative, and the AU 1 Million Next Level Initiative. Hon. Woodcock filled in for Hon. Tatenda Annastacia Mavetera, 1st Vice-Chair of the Youth Caucus, in her absence. Presenting in this session was Ms. Hager Azzooz, the AGA Secretariat, and a panel of 5 youth leaders. This particular African Youth Dialogue was marked by the Moroccan experience in youth empowerment, in terms of creating the right conditions for the empowerment of young people in developmental issues.
The second discussion moderated by Hon. Woodcock took place on the 5th December and sought to explore the interaction and characteristics between African Parliamentarians and youth-led civil society organizations towards the empowerment of African Youth. Presenting in this discussion was Ms. Patience Munyenyembe, Members of the SADC Youth Parliament, and Members of the Southern African Youth Forum. The session, titled Legislature and Civil Society: Potential Partners in Youth Empowerment, engaged different stakeholders and aimed to create a concrete roadmap to create a lasting impact on the continent.
After the event ended on the 6th December, Hon. Woodcock made the most of his time in Morocco and paid a visit to the Morocco Football Academy which facilitates the education and training of youths aged 13 to 18. Hon. Woodcock noted the sophisticated and “state of the art” facilities located within the academy and praised the Moroccan football team and their recent performance in the World Cup 2022.
