Africa Human Rights Day
Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth
21 October 2017
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum) joins the rest of the continent
in commemorating Africa Human Rights Day. The day is commemorated annually on
21 October and provides an opportunity for Africans to reflect and recommit on the
solemn declaration undertaken by the African leaders and the African people to
promote and safeguard human and peoples’ rights on the continent. The day is also
meant to continuously raise awareness of the African people on the value of life and
humanity, and to renew Africa’s collective commitment to promote, protect and
uphold the fundamental human rights.
This year’s commemorations are held under the theme of the African Union (AU),
which is: “Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth.”
Premised on the fact that over 60% of the African population are under 30 years of
age and the promise of a demographic dividend it holds if adequate investments are
made in their social, economic and political agency, the AU recognizes the value
youths bring to Africa’s development and the democratisation process as partners,
leaders, and beneficiaries. This is hammering the swords into ploughshares; in Africa
the youths have been used in most of the violence that occurred than in development
and peace.
Further, the AU adopted a number of normative frameworks that reinforce this
recognition and commits AU Member States to meaningfully engage youths in all
spheres of life. These include the African Youth Charter; the African Charter on
Democracy; Elections and Governance; the African Charter on Human and Peoples’
Rights; the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; and the
Constitutive Act of the AU. These frameworks spell out rights, freedoms, and duties
that accrue to young people; provide guidance on how to effectively and meaningfully