Youth Public Forum Russia – Africa (archive event)

From July 26 to 28, 2022 the Youth Public Forum Russia – Africa was held in Moscow and brought together 100 of the brightest representatives of youth organizations in Russia and Africa.

The Youth Public Forum Russia – Africa was aimed at strengthening friendship and mutual understanding, building long-term partnerships between youth of Russia and African countries. The foundation of youth cooperation which was laid during the forum will affect the development and capacity building of a solid institutional framework for youth cooperation between countries, and subsequently will affect the discussion and creation of new effective institutions and mechanisms for interaction between Russian and African youth in the future.

The purpose of the forum was to develop the Russian-African youth dialogue and build systematic work between youth public associations in Russia and African countries.

Tasks:

• establishing friendly and professional ties between youth leaders and youth public associations in Russia and African countries,
• creation of conditions for exchange of experience, further cooperation and development of joint projects between youth leaders and youth public associations of Russia and African countries,
• development of proposals and recommendations for the implementation of youth cooperation and forms of interaction between youth of Russia and African countries.

The work of the forum was carried out in the following areas:

• education, science and technology,
• youth entrepreneurship and start-ups,
• youth leadership and civic engagement of youth.

Participants: 100 people (53 participants from the Russian Federation, 47 participants from African countries). They are representatives of youth public associations, leaders and activists of youth public organizations, youth movements, student organizations, representatives of the youth wing of political parties, young entrepreneurs, startup authors.

Key results: During the Youth Public Forum Russia – Africa participants shared their experience of youth organizations in their countries (relevant topics, successful practices and opportunities for international youth cooperation), developed proposals and recommendations for the implementation of cooperation and forms of interaction between youth of Russia and African countries and also got acquainted with the resources and opportunities for the development of youth cooperation between the countries. The participants also made visits to the Federal Agency for CIS Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), the Skolkovo Innovation Centre, MIREA – Russian Technological University, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodyozh), MGIMO University. As a result of the forum the participants developed projects and proposals for the development of Russian-African youth cooperation within the framework of three thematic tracks of the forum:

1. education, science and technology track: creation of the platform for scientific exchange between youth of Russia and African countries, the Russian-African scientific hub that will accumulate information and opportunities in the field of education, culture and digitalization, the platform for training youth of Russia and African countries on energy transit issues,
2. youth entrepreneurship and start-ups track: holding the African arts festival “AFRICA WEEK”, creation of the Youth Business Council aimed at accumulating knowledge, tools and contacts to help young entrepreneurs and businessmen, establishing contacts between small businesses in Russia and African countries in the field of agriculture,
3. youth leadership and civic engagement track: creation of the youth platform for interaction between fertilizer producers that use apatite-niphiline ore for the exchange of professional experience and personnel (it is assumed that the project will be initiated between Murmansk and South Africa, then the experience will be scaled up), creation of the Internet platform with vacancies in Russia and African countries for recent university graduates as well as provision of professional support on this platform for recent graduates in writing resumes and passing interviews (lectures / webinars / master classes), organization of tours to Russia and African countries (twice a year) to get young people acquainted with African countries and Russia, creation of the online platform for learning languages spoken in African countries with the involvement of native speakers.