The Government of the Republic of Zambia will co-host the Second Summit for Democracy with the governments of the United States of America, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, and South Korea.
The Youth Democracy Cohort takes part in the organisation of the Africa Pre-Summit Civil Society Regional Forum on Concerted Voice and Action in Support of Democracy in Lusaka. The event will take place on March 27 and 28 at the Urban hotel in Lusaka and was named “in Defense of Democracy – Citizens Summit On Democracy“.
The forum is a Pan-African event that leverages various CSO efforts to constitute a coordinated convening of African and international civil society in Zambia and online before the official S4D2 processes as part of the Partners for Democracy Day’s global convenings. It is coordinated and delivered by a diverse cast of CSOs as a platform for deep reflection on the challenges of democracy on the continent and collective exploration of possible solutions.
Program
Day 1 (27th of March)
9:00 AM to 9:40AM – Session 1: Opening Session: Introduction, welcome remarks
9:40 AM to 10:30 AM – Session 2 Setting the tone
11:30 AM to 12:30 AM – Session 3 Youth Inclusion and Participation in Democratic Processes
Exchange between young activists and democracy actors in civil society and youth ministries to discuss the challenges of youth participation in the context of Africa and how the platform of the Summit for Democracy can contribute to resolving this challenge.
The session will be moderated by Samson Itodo, Executive Director, YIAGA Africa with the following speakers:
- Merveille Gozo, Elykia Institute
- Andrew Songa, European Partnership for Democracy
- Alfa Diallo, Association des Blogueurs de Guinée (ABLOGUI)
- Maxwell Dlamini, Southern African Youth Solidarity Network (SAYSN)
2:00 PM to 5:30PM – Session 4: 3 Specialized Mini summits: 1.) Money in Politics, (2.) Civic space, and (3.) Media, freedoms, and technology in elections
Day 2 (28th of March)
9:00 AM to 10:30AM – Session 5: Spotlight on Nigeria: Some Reflections and insights from Africa’s Largest Election: the 2023 Nigeria elections
10:30 AM to 1 PM – Session 6 – Summit resolutions, consolidation and closing
Venue: Urban Hotel, Lusaka, Zambia.
The more detailed program of these two days will be communicated soon
Other events:
- March 28th – afternoon – The Carter Centre will organise a side event to present its new handbook on election observation. There will be a panel discussion. Location: Intercontinental (More information coming soon)
- March 31st 2023 – Securing a Seat at the Table: Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities as Influencers and Decision Makers. Location: Taj Pamodzi (More information coming soon)
Photo: Birger Strahl (unsplash)📍Zambia