| The Yaoundé Youth Education & Development Summit “The Power of Music in Advancing Youth Development & Intercultural Dialogue” |
| (Cameroon, Yaoundé; July 27th - August 6th, 2013) |
Conference Overview
Africa is currently experiencing a population boom, which has proved both beneficial and challenging to the continued development of the countries on the continent. The current population growth in Africa is projected to continue expanding, with no expectations to come to a halt at any time in the near future. As a result, the number of people entering the labor market each year will continue to grow incrementally, and as such, the number of jobs available must also rise.The conference will bring together a variety of speakers, practitioners, and artists in order to discuss solutions to the difficulties currently facing young Africans. Musicians, diplomats, journalists, activists, and private sector representatives will gather in Yaoundé for a week-long conference in order to discuss and raise awareness of the issues surrounding youth education, employment, and general advancement in west Africa, while specifically focusing on the potential the arts, particularly the power of musical exchange, holds in offering solutions. By using music as a Cultural Diplomacy tool, the conference will bring together young Africans to collaborate and learn more about one another through the power of song, while also empowering local communities by way of constructive workshops, musical performances, and outreach programs.
Conference Locations
Based in Yaoundé, the Conference will be hosted at a number of important political, historic, and cultural locations across the city, and will consist of excursions to the country's top institutions and landmarks. Featured locations during the Symposium will include: the Cameroon government buildings, the Cameroon Art Museum, the Cathédrale Notre Dame des Victoires, the Cameroon National Museum, and the Palais du Sport, in addition to various governmental institutions.Conference Participants »
Participation in the Conference is open to musicians, artists, spiritual leaders, human rights activists, mediation specialists, academics, governmental & diplomatic officials, journalists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals, and students as well as other interested individuals from across the world.If you would like to reserve a position and participate in the Conference, please click on the "Apply Now" link below and fill out the online application form:
Conference Speakers
Speakers during the Symposium will include musicians, artists, human rights activists, civil society practitioners, spiritual leaders, leading dignitaries, heads of state, ministers, politicians, diplomats, academics, authors, and journalists, as well as figures and experts from international politics, economics, the cultural sector, diplomacy, conflict resolution, mediation, and private sector representatives from around the world.Conference Agenda
The Conference will see the assembly of a wide range of leaders from a variety of fields including music, politics, diplomacy, activism, the media, and the private sector, with the aim of promoting dialogue on the issue of West African youth advancement while also directly empowering local communities through outreach programs. The Conference will place particular emphasis on the power of music as a Cultural Diplomacy tool and will feature a variety of performances from local and international artists and musical ensembles, while also inviting participants and local people to take part in musical workshop projects, regardless of musical ability. The Conference will offer participants the opportunity to experience the coming together of young Nigerians and Cameroonians for cooperation, with the long-term aim of establishing and launching joint activity between practitioners from across the African continent.In addition to the musical aspect, experts from a variety of fields will deliver lectures and partake in panel discussions and interactive discussions in order to express their opinions and ideas on the matters of youth unemployment and education, giving participants the opportunity to witness key diplomatic discussion and conflict resolution. At the end of the Conference, the OYED will collate a report reflecting the views of speakers and participants, which will be used to establish potential initiatives in order to improve the standing of Africa’s young population.
The Conference will focus in particular on the following areas:
- Youth Unemployment in West Africa
- Improving Accessibility to Education and Educational Standards
- Music as a Cultural Diplomacy Tool
- Progress in Millennium Development Goals across the Continent
- Combating Governmental Inefficiency and Corruption
- Human Rights Records
- The Application of Cultural Diplomacy in Promoting Intercultural and Interregional Dialogue
