participation of the youth from the East Africa Cup in YOUTH & ACTION peace seminar 2014

Participation of the youth from the East Africa Cup to our peace seminar

Hello all!

Here’s a brief report from the participation of the youth from the East Africa Cup in this week’s celebration of the Norwegian constitution and more specifically the Moss Convention which laid the  foundation for the constitution itself and the lasting peace which the Nordic countries have enjoyed.

“I believe in the enormous power of youth working together!”

The quote above was made by Crown Prince Haakon Magnus in his closing speech of the day yesterday evening. The quote was a direct result of his impression of the youth present in Moss for the youth conference/seminar focusing peace and global dignity.

Forgive me a small digression:-)  – as you know the projections of future birth rates (as predicted by the UNICEF report earlier this week) indicate that between 30 and 40% of children born in 2050 will be born in Africa. And we know that currently most countries south of the Sahara in Africa have populations where between 60-80% are under 30. Furthermore we know that this segment of the population are typically not accessing any meaningful influence on their daily lives through the formal political or socio-economic structures. And the small segment of the population (typically those over 30) who are in positions of power and influence have strong vested interests which result in a relatively stagnant status quo. As a consequence there is a certain logic to a prediction that future significant social mobilization and change will have its roots in the young people of Africa!

I am certain the Crown Prince recognizes this. In his closing speech yesterday he emphasized the importance of giving young people the possibility to influence their own community development. Through this we create independent young people – who also in turn will take on leading roles in their societies. He further stated that his presence at the youth conference had strengthened his belief that there is more that unites us than divides us.

The celebration this week has its historic roots in the decision made by a young man in 1814. Christian Fredrik was then only 27. He had been the King of Norway for only 3 months and was caught up in a war with Sweden. He had travelled to Moss in order to be closer to the conflict. He had a strong awareness that this was a war he could not win. And he had to make a decision that ensured that Norway and its population had a measure of dignity and independence in the political power games at that time. The Swedish King Karl Johan had proposed an armistice. And Christian Fredrik had a difficult choice. He could continue the battle for Norwegian independence and sovereignty – with a relatively certain huge loss of Norwegian lives and possible humiliating defeat. Or he could negotiate to salvage the Norwegian Constitution and a degree of national autonomy. He chose the latter, and in the process abdicated and secured a transfer of power from the Monarchy to the Norwegian Parliament. He thereby laid the foundation for our current sphere of Nordic peace. And he laid the foundation for our democratic system of power with its checks and balances.

So it was a young man who bravely sacrificed his own ambitions and ego with a wisdom that has resulted in fundamental values that govern our society. When we celebrate our constitution we also celebrate these values. We have decided that no one can have the power to govern our society alone – the ones who govern get their power from the people who elect them. And this is rooted in the fundamental rights of free speech and religion.

However, these values do not exist by themselves. They need to be nurtured in the face of changing times and pressures. They need to be constantly reemphasized and held aloft as the ideals guiding our communities.

The youth conference was a wonderful celebration of these values. I am certain that the youth from East Africa Cup have reconfirmed the spark that we have as a credo within the EAC – namely that youth are both the present and future, and that they have the right and the potential to make a difference in their own lives.

At the conference they met youth from many other countries, South Africa, Guatemala, Slovenia, Russia, Israel, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Egypt to name a few. And I know they all realized that they are not so different. There is (as the Crown Prince stated) more that unites than divides us. Bridges were built between cultures. New networks and friendships were formed. And the EAC youth are now returning to their home communities in Tanzania, richer in experience and with a strengthened belief that they can make a difference.

Svein Olsen