ADDIS ABABA – The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Selma Malika Haddadi, called Tuesday for strengthening volunteer activities carried out by African youth, pointing out that the AU totally recognises the transformative power of volunteering “in empowering young people.”
“The African Union fully recognises the transformative power of volunteering in empowering young people, opening up opportunities for meaningful participation and promoting development.
The principle is enshrined in our Youth Charter, which calls on African State members to institutionalise volunteering and establish strong youth policies and programmes,” Haddadi said at a ceremony on the release of the AU report on the state of volunteering in Africa, an event coinciding with the International Youth Day.
“The decision of our chiefs of State and government, in January 2010, to create the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps (AU-YVC) confirmed our commitment to empowering young people and recognised youth volunteering as a driver of development in Africa.”
Through this programme, “we have recruited, trained and deployed hundreds of young professionals across the continent,” she said.
“In doing so, we have promoted a more integrated, more prosperous and more peaceful Africa, by cultivating the spirit of Pan-Africanism among today’s and tomorrow’s leaders.”
