Young Africans living abroad and their engagement in African politics

ABSTRACT

This paper was presented at the 2013 Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS) Youth Dialogue in Accra, Ghana. It provides an analysis on African youth abroad and their role in the ‘New Africa’ and their perceived impact on election and governance. The focus of the paper is on the views of first and second generation young Africans in the post-Obama era seeking to answer the question on the roles that these young Africans are playing, or can play in impacting change in Africa. The paper’s main focus is going to be on two points:

1. The lessons that Young Africans Living Abroad (YALA) have learned from their involvement in the political process in countries such as the USA;
2. Innovative approaches in creating synergy between YALA and those who reside on the continent.

INTRODUCTION

Africa is moving forward and with it are young, bright and innovative Africans who are positioning themselves to take a creative, critical and concrete role in the development of Africa. Joining these young Africans are the emerging youth leaders raised or studying abroad and seeking to forge deeper relationships with Africa and make a significant and viable contribution to Africa’s growth. These Young Africans Living Abroad (YALA) are slowly walking away from the idealized and romantic vision of ‘fixing’ Africa that has been bred by years of witnessing what has been termed as the ‘singe African story’ with wars, famine, mismanagement, poor leadership having been the leading narrative on Africa. Instead, YALA are slowly closing the gap between the old-age ‘poor’ Africa, and are grappling with the reality of their role in building a stronger, and ‘rich’ Africa.

With over 60% of Africa's population under the age of 35 (Youth and African Union Commission), young Africans can play a crucial role in shaping the future of Africa, and shaping the way the world sees Africa. Simply put, young Africans cannot afford to be bystanders, nor become political puppets because at the end of the day, it is their future that is at stake, their future that is in question and it is their future, for them to write.

Historically, the engagement of Africans living abroad has proven to have critical impact in remittances and tourism (African Diaspora Policy Center, 2009). Most recently, that has been coupled with their limited involvement in advocacy and economic development. However, despite the growing interest and engagement of those living abroad, there seems to be a disconnection in role of YALA in the continent’s elections or governance.

The reality is that young Africans abroad and those living on the continent need each other. Young Africans Living Abroad can serve as a conduit for empowering those who live on the continent. Likewise, those who live in Africa can inform and act upon the day-to-day realities whereby ‘a stable environment of equality, peace democracy and positive value system’ can be fostered (African Decade Plan, 2011). For the above to take place, a different kind of dialogue needs to be fostered. Whereby each body prioritizes and identifies the root causes of problems within the current African political system while taking critical and responsive actions instead of settling for patchwork solutions in governance. This would mean that the Africans living abroad and those in the continent become culpable on what becomes of Africa.

LESSONS FROM OBAMA AND AMERICAN ELECTIONS

In 2008, when Barack Obama was running for president in the United States, the African community, particularly the youth, came out in numbers to participate in the political process. Even those who couldn’t vote campaigned. This was a monumental experience for the youth because for so many, this was the first time that they were actively involved in a political process, and truly saw their voices and their vote counted. Nothing could have been more symbolic for young Africans, for a man of African heritage being elected to the most powerful position in the world. It is no wonder that many of these youth projected their aspirations onto Obama. They started to believe that change was possible, and that elections were important, that their voices counted, and the pursuit of democracy was still a worthy and just cause. Three main lessons were learned from this experience:

1) The future belongs to the youth

In the 2008 election, Obama targeted young voters with the message that becoming politically dormant did not serve them well. He empowered them, showing them that they had the tools, namely social media/internet, to impact change. Young Africans would learn this lesson well, as we saw an indirect effect of renewed hope in the cases of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

2) Young Africans no longer need to become political mules

In what could be termed as a peaceful revolution, Obama reminded young Africans the meaning of the ‘non-violent struggle’. The trajectory of African politics has always been shadowed by violence, with the youth serving as perpetrators or pawns (Chuck, 2012). During a time that Kenya had been recovering from a post-election conflict, Obama served as a beacon of hope and affirming to the youth that there were other ways to elect a president: through cohesive democracy instead of violent social disturbances.

3) If it is to change, then it is up to me

Young Africans can still shape the future of Africa. Instead of dwelling on his past, Obama focused on the future, where everyone had a responsibility for the betterment of the country. Obama focused on possibilities of a shared future. In this, young Africans would learn that while the past of Africa, and the ugly realities in the continent still existed, there was still a better future to be had and if Africans in Africa and within the diaspora wanted to see change, they had to be the ones to enact the change. In that message of ‘Yes We Can’, young Africans would learn that they had the majority of the voice, and they could inspire change by genuine grassroots mobilization and becoming informed citizens.

With these lessons at hand, Young Africans Living Abroad has developed a unique perspective on Africa in the process. Particularly for first generation Africans who have experienced both the politics in their home country and that of their host countries, YALA are able to bring different lens of analysis on what might be beneficial to the progress and active involvement of young Africans in the political sphere. They do this by offering different models of civic participation such as volunteerism, responsible electoral participation and organizational involvement

THE ROLE OF YOUNG AFRICANS LIVING ABROAD

The participation of Young Africans Living Abroad in the African political, economic, or social processes is knowledge-based. Their education from institutions outside of Africa gives them a different perspective on political problems and possible solutions to these problems. As observers, YALA have benefitted from the different political systems in their host countries. While these systems might not be better, they have afforded them with a different lens of analysis on governance and elections in Africa. By fostering the accumulation of intellectual capital gained outside of Africa, YALAs role would be to support other young Africans on the ground by connecting them to resources, strengthening the work they are doing, and mentoring them.

• Connecting would take a form of partnerships with those on the ground and developing relationships, and in the process sharing resources. More than that would be developing partnerships between organizations in Africa and those abroad. This could take place by setting up of joint ventures between African-owned organizations with organizations in Africa with similar interests or missions. This would allow these organizations to gain access to financial resources, expertise, innovative practices and valuable networks abroad (Diaspora Perspectives on the Joint Africa-EU Strategic Partnership, 2009).

• Strengthening the work of young Africans on the ground would focus on YALA collaborating on initiatives and tools that would instill in young people a sense of ownership, and enfranchisement in the political process. These tools would take form of seminars on political leadership, civic engagement, life skills, and strategic management. These tools could provide platforms where dialogue can take place would create environments where young people can define the future on their own terms. Furthermore, as collaborators, YALA would be able to utilize their networks to promote the work of young Africans on the ground, while advocating for youth as legitimate stakeholders in governance. This would require that those who live broad take the time to understand what young people in Africa are doing, their vision, and what would be the best way to tell the stories of these young people.

• As mentors, YALA would be able engage young people in issues of consequence to them while guiding them to critically analyze the political landscape in their countries. For example, they could help those on the ground organize political debates and using social media and social technology to connect to a larger audience. Furthermore, aspiring politicians in the continent could benefit from mentorship and/or guidance from those who have participated in elections abroad. This could take form in anything from helping craft effective political messages, strategizing on effective campaigning, and also bringing in different resources such as monetary contributions or simple tasks such as website design.

CONCLUSION

We are at an age and time where African youth have demonstrated that they can bring about transformative change on their own terms. There should be no illusion that there is no tension between young Africans on the continent and those who are seemingly far removed from it, or rather relocated abroad. However, the bridge between these two groups is being built on both ends.

Young African Living Abroad can and have become an asset to their counterparts in recent years, however there are still many challenges to this interaction. One of the main challenges being that Africans that are living abroad are far removed from the day-to-day realities on the ground. It is difficult for anyone to be involved in a political environment that is constantly shifting, particularly if they are doing so remotely. Thankfully, this provides an opportunity for both groups to seek each other out and learn from each other. It has not been lost to Africa’s young population that they hold the majority, and if there is power in numbers, then they are the engine that is, and will be driving Africa forward.

SOURCES

1. African Diaspora Policy Centre (2009). Diaspora Perspectives on the Join Africa-EU Strategic partnership
2. African Union (2011). African Youth Charter. Addis Ababa
3. African Union (2011). African Youth Decade 2009-2018 Plan of Action: Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development. Addis Ababa.
4. Blum, R. (2007). Youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Adolescent Health 41; 230–238
5. Chuck, A. (2012). The Decisive African Youth Vote. The Atlantic Council http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/decisive-african-youth-vote
6. Atta-Boahene, M (2012) Youth and Violence. The Ark Foundation, Ghana
7. Economic Commission For Africa (2011). Addressing the Youth Education and Employment Nexus in the New Global Economy. African Youth Report; Addis Ababa.
8. Plaza, S. & Ratha, D. (2011). Harnessing Diaspora Resources for Africa, Washington, DC: World Bank

* Divine Muragijimana, MA, is Burundian, founder and president of the Council of Young African Leaders, based in New York. She is a Marketing Strategist and Events Development consultant by profession working with an extensive network of African organizations and African businesses both in the Diaspora and in the African continent.