Professor of African Diaspora Education in the Africana Studies and Research Center at Cornell University U.S, Professor N’DriThérèseAssié-Lumumba, has lauded the African Youth and Governance Convergence (AYGC) for its remarkable influence in inspiring positive change among African youth.
Her comments come in the wake of several success stories of young Africans who participated in the AYGC leadership grooming programme with previous annual convergence and are making significant strides across the globe.
Professor Lumumba, made the comments during a visit with a delegation of Cornell University students to the AYGC secretariat hosted by Youth Bridge Foundation (YBF) in Accra ahead of the 15th convergence scheduled to take place from August 12 to August 19, 2023, at Manna Heights Hotel in Mankessim in the Central Region of Ghana.
Emphasizing the merits of AYGC, Professor Lumumba highlighted the collective responsibility to drive change stating, “It’s our collective responsibility to make sure that things change. We can’t change everything ourselves but we can change something and especially when we’re alone, sometimes you feel overwhelmed when you look at the range of problems, but when you are together, within an organization with the same goal, as the AYGC Community of youth across Africa and Diaspora offers, you feel strengthened. So that unity in action for positive change is one of the merits of AYGC .”
She commended organisers of the convergence for shining the path for African youth and prayed for the sustenance of the initiative.
Executive Director of the Foundation, Seth Oteng encouraged diasporan students especially to take advantage of the huge benefits AYGC provides to connect with Africa and help build the continent especially their countries of origin.
“AYGC presents an immense benefit for young people. It allows them to have their voices heard and model the development they wish to see on the continent. We provide this platform so you can network with leaders and gain mentorship. That is how they can also contribute positively to development on the continent”, he explained.
Initiated in 2009, AYGC is an annual programme organized by YBF in collaboration with the AU ECOSOCC with technical support this year from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). The event has established itself as an invaluable platform for grooming young African leaders from the diaspora and over 32 African countries.
Bringing together an extraordinary cohort of youth, esteemed academics, government officials and dedicated public servants, AYGC facilitates in-depth analysis of policy documents and comprehensive deliberations on critical issues significantly impacting the African continent.
This year’s event is expected to see former Nigerian President, H. E Olesegun Obasanjo and other officials engage young people and mentor them.
