KATAMBA ZAINAH: Two Regions, One Rising Generation: How the Afro-Arab Youth Council Is Shaping Future Leaders

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda reports that the Afro-Arab Youth Council (AAYC) has developed into a youth-led platform linking young people across Africa and the Arab world around peacebuilding, leadership and sustainable development. The article says the organization was established in Khartoum, Sudan, on 9 March 2004 after the First Afro-Arab Youth Festival, and has since expanded from a movement into an international youth organization focused on cooperation between the two regions.

According to the report, AAYC works through congresses, leadership forums, cultural exchanges, policy dialogues and capacity-building programmes. It also cites the 5th Afro-Arab Youth Congress in Kampala, Uganda, where more than 1,200 delegates from 45 countries discussed topics including peace, governance, entrepreneurship, climate action, mental health and employment. That meeting produced the Kampala 10.10 Nalubaale Communiqué, described as a policy document with recommendations for governments, regional bodies and development partners.

The article says the council has built partnerships with institutions such as the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Pan-African Youth Union, governments, universities and youth-led groups. It also mentions recent collaboration with the Egyptian Youth Council and Uganda’s National Youth Council. The broader significance, as framed by the publisher, is that youth across both regions face similar pressures such as unemployment, conflict, education gaps and digital inequality, making cross-border cooperation more relevant.

The report also states that AAYC has supported scholarships, youth leadership networks and mentoring opportunities, presenting young people as active contributors to policy and development rather than passive recipients.