Matthew Wate
On Monday 24 May at the University of Limpopo in Polokwane, the 7th Annual Africa Europe Training Course for Youth Organisations officially got under way. The course is aimed at fostering an environment and culture of cooperation and experience sharing between representatives of youth leadership organisations from the two continents. An annual programme of the North-South Centre, the training course is organised in partnership with the European Youth Forum, the Pan-African Youth Forum, the University of Limpopo and the Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA). The University of Limpopo is providing the venue for this important forum and all the participants have been impressed with the facilities the University has to offer.
The training course is part of the larger preparatory programme for the upcoming EU-Africa Youth Forum, slated for October 2010. The aim of the course is to inculcate an environment of cooperation, experience sharing and youth leadership through diverse activities which emphasise communication and reflection by the participants.
The opening day was dedicated to welcoming the delegates and allowing them to get to know one another. To get started the participants made use the of the University piazza to build a human map of Africa and Europe, plotting the countries of their origin and providing an interesting basis for the discussions. The participants were then invited to mingle the course venue and speak to each other informally and create relationships that will prove invaluable as the course progresses.
Formal addresses were given by the partner organisations in order to welcome and inspire the delegates. Dr Matlou, CEO of AISA, reminded the participants to heed the advice of Albert Einstein “learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow”. He called on the young leaders to put their collective knowledge and experiences towards tackling some of Africa’s most pressing developmental questions. He further reminded the course participants of the enormous significance of the relations between Africa and Europe and called on those present at this course to use the interaction as an opportunity to reinforce the cooperation and joint initiatives between the EU and Africa.
Further addresses were given by senior members of the University Faculty, including Professor Mireku, Dean of the School of Management and Law. The Professor pointed out that his own experiences and opinions have been shaped by his own interactions with European scholars and peers during his student career. He highlighted the significance of students developing an understanding of different cultures and nations as integral to them becoming well rounded and more effective after their studies are complete.
The training course will run until Saturday 29 May and it is hoped that the participants involved will then return home and share their experiences with their colleagues and peers. AISA is proud to be a part of this important event and looks forward to further collaborations with the North-South Centre, particularly in the area of youth engagement and development.
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