The ACT Alliance Youth Community of Practice (CoP) is hosting a two-day pre-meeting before the start of ACT’s General Assembly from 26- 27 October. The session is devoted to ACT’s youth delegates and presents a platform for youth and youth organisations associated with the alliance to share and organise their strategic work for increased youth participation in ACT’s new strategic direction (2019-2026).

ACT’s General Secretary, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria opened the session, “There is a substantial youth population in the majority of countries where our members serve, many ACT members also engage in youth-related work. ACT will aim to ensure that there are platforms and support provisions to enable youth engagement in all processes in the life and work of the Alliance.”

During the session, youth have been sharing their experiences, expectations, stories of hope, victories and challenges of working with and for youth in the alliance. “Our work as a Youth CoP is currently limited. We want to access additional platforms in ACT’s structures, including decision making bodies. Limited youth involvement could neglect one of the worlds key demographics, inactively oppressing youth. It could be detrimental to ACT to lose out on the engagement, capacities and knowledge of youth from around the globe,” says Mari Hasle Einang, co-chair of ACT’s Youth CoP.

ACT’s Global Strategy (2019-2026) advocates for a pro-youth alliance that responds to the importance of the full participation of youth as agents of change. “For youth to be able to participate fully and freely in the alliance, we need real access to forums and other decision making structures, and we will need support to fight existing structural boundaries,” continued Mari.

Along with these important conversations, the session will also feature guest speakers, including MsPhumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women and former Deputy President of South Africa, and MsLopa Banerjee, UN Women Civil Society Division Director.

The CoP will use the session to finalise a common youth strategy document to be submitted to ACT’s Public Statement Committee and shared during the opening of the Assembly