This article is originally published on IJR website

In commemoration of the African Union’s Day of the African Child and South Africa’s Youth Day, the Communications Team at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) hosted a youth-led virtual dialogue on 18 June 2025. Under the theme, “Being Young in Africa Today and Co-Creating Solutions,” the event brought together changemakers from across the continent, who are working within the youth space, to reflect on the past, critique the present, and imagine a more just future.

Observed annually on 16 June, South Africa’s Youth Day pays tribute to the 1976 Soweto Uprising, whereby thousands of Black students took to the streets in protest against the poor quality of education they were receiving. The Day of the African Child (DAC), launched by the African Union in 1991, similarly honours those students and now serves as a broader platform to raise awareness on the challenges African children face.

With nearly half of Africa’s population being under the age of 25, this dialogue provided a timely opportunity to centre the voices of young people who, despite facing systemic challenges, continue to lead transformative change across the continent.

The conversation opened with remarks from Ms Danielle Hoffmeester, Project Leader at the IJR, who reflected on her work within the Sustained Dialogues programme. Hoffmeester spoke to the complex emotions many young people navigate, noting that societal expectations often encourage the youth to suppress their feelings. “We are told to swallow our anger, and then wonder why we are choking,” she remarked, adding that such emotions often arise from a deep and sincere longing for a more just future.

Hoffmeester concluded her opening remarks by reflecting on the challenges faced by today’s youth, noting that although “the chains are harder to break,” there remains a strong sense of hope. “There is a hunger to learn, build, and create,” she affirmed.

Our guest speaker, Ms Opal Sibanda, Legal Researcher at the Secretariat of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Union), contextualised the significance of the Day of the African Child. She linked the day’s themes to the four areas explored during the dialogue:

Lived Realities of African Youth Today

The first panel discussion featured Ms Fadzai Nyamarebvu, Consultant at AfriEmerg Global, and Mr Ntsika Mzananda, Director at Project Youth SA and a Youth Advisory Board member for Moonshot Pirates. Nyamarebvu reflected on the structural inequalities across African countries, noting that while many nations have progressive policies on paper, there is little implementation of them in practice.

Mzananda continued the conversation, highlighting how the legacy of apartheid and existing socio-economic disparities shape the aspirations of South African youth today. He also shared compelling examples of youth-led innovation and the struggles youth continue to face. He noted how identity, particularly Black Consciousness, plays a critical role in shaping youth activism today, which was an ideal segue into the next theme.

Activism, Legacy and Identity

This segment featured Ms Stacey Fru, student, child author, rights activist, and founder of the Stacey Fru Foundation, who spoke about how youth activism has evolved. “Today’s activism is more creative,” she noted, attributing it to the rise of social media and digital platforms. Fru concluded her insights with a powerful statement; “youth are not just the future, they are the present.”

Touching on activism, legacy and identity, Ms Rosevitha Ndumbu, Research Associate at the Institute of Public Policy Research (Namibia) and Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI alumna), reflected on how youth across the continent have long resisted exclusion, expressing their anger and frustration at their “futures are being shaped without them.”

Mental Health and Wellbeing

The dialogue then turned to the importance of youth mental health and wellbeing. Ms Tamande Liabunya, Executive Director of Ukuthula Malawi, and Mr Washington Mumbamarwo, Executive Director of the Youth End Period Poverty Movement, highlighted the barriers youth face in accessing adequate mental and general healthcare. Liabunya, in particular, emphasised the impact of language and cultural stigma in a lack of diagnosis and misdiagnosing of mental health challenges in the African context.

Pan-African Youth Solidarity

Closing off the conversation, Ms Darla Rudakubana, a communications specialist, led an engaging discussion on the power of storytelling as a tool for solidarity and social change. She encouraged youth across the continent to share their stories and use their voices to connect movements and amplify impact.

While the event offered rich and inspiring dialogue, it became clear that more time was needed to fully unpack the issues raised. The stories and solutions shared reaffirmed that young people across Africa are not waiting to be invited to the table, they are already creating their own.

At the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, we remain committed to creating platforms like these, where young people are not simply participants but leaders, decision-makers, and visionaries shaping a just and peaceful Africa.