About the IUCN Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC)
The IUCN APAC is the first of its kind conservation event- specifically on protected and conserved areas held in Africa. Scheduled to take place in Kigali-Rwanda from July 18th-23rd. The Congress is built around the theme “Promoting a sustainable future for Africa’’.
The overarching objective of the APAC is to position and drive an agenda on Africa-protected and conserved areas within the broader goals of economic development and community well-being. Furthermore, it aims to increase the understanding of parks' vital role in conserving biodiversity and delivering the ecosystem services that underpin human welfare and livelihoods. It is organized under seven detailed objectives: Leadership, Practical actions, Commitment, Practical measures, Collaborations, Advocacy, and Partnerships.
Y4N Activities at APAC
Youth4Nature Africa has registered three events; Nature-based Solutions event, Storytelling Exhibition, and Conservation Conversation side event. A dedicated Youth Pavilion will host all of our three events. The latter and various modalities of youth engagement will be some of the highlights of this event. The congress will present an excellent opportunity for young Afrikans to contribute to the discussion on protected areas by highlighting their own experiences, thoughts, initiatives and solutions relating to protected areas and their relevance to Afrika's sustainable development.
Nature-based Solutions session
On November 6, 2021, Youth4Nature, YOUNGO and Global Biodiversity Youth Network (GYBN) team members presented and launched the official Global Youth Position Statement on NbS to decision-makers and policy-makers at the UNFCCC COP26 in the Nature Zone. The statement, a culmination of 1000+ youth voices from over 118 countries, reveals how seriously concerned youth worldwide are about being excluded from spaces where decisions about their future are being made. It further affirms our (youth) unshaken resolve to NOT standby and watch as discussions and decisions about us are made without us. The NbS Youth Position Statement presents an honest reflection by youth for youth meant to increase understanding of the opportunities, risks, and concerns related to NbS across climate and biodiversity communities and the means needed to navigate them.
Honest discussions around these concepts are needed, and that’s what our workshop on NbS at APAC intends to achieve. Afrikan youths will get a chance to explore how these solutions fit into their local contexts, and what more needs to be done on the implementation of NbS. This session will include presentations by experts in this space, and an open dialogue segment for session participants to share their experiences with nature-based solutions.
Storytelling Exhibition
The Storytelling Exhibition session will delve into the depths of co-management of protected areas, serving as an eye-opener for participants, enabling them to understand the distinctive role of youth & indigenous knowledge in supporting community conservation. It will bring out a unique perspective to conservation where the youth, in partnership with communities in protected areas, are leveraging the power of storytelling, arts, and indigenous knowledge to elevate conservation conversations. It will be a place where people can tell their stories of how they have been affected by protected areas and wildlife to raise awareness about the importance of conservation initiatives in Afrika.
The exhibition (both virtual and physical) will provide an interactive experience where participants will have an opportunity to explore different stories submitted by youth from across Afrika. They will be able to learn more about Afrika’s protected areas and wildlife and the role of youth in the biodiversity conservation space. In addition, there will be opportunities for interaction through various activities such as photography sessions. The aim is that these experiences will help participants better understand what it means to conserve our precious natural resources today!
Conservation Conversation side event
This side event aims to stimulate discussions and exchange of ideas on conservation issues between young people and experts from different parts of Afrika. The conservation conversation hybrid side event will feature panelists who will represent the diverse regions of Africa to share their visions, experiences, challenges, and success stories concerning protected areas and biodiversity conservation within their countries/regions or beyond national borders- subsequently building synergies for more sustainable and inclusive conservation endeavors.
Discussions will focus on three main areas: marine protected areas and coastal ecosystems, rangelands and pastoral communities, and the role of storytelling in the conservation of protected areas.
Meet The Delegation
Our delegation of six youth from across Afrika will be representing the Y4N Afrika team on the ground in Kigali, Rwanda.
This on-the-ground team is supported by our at-home team, located around the world. You know what they say - it takes a village!
All the Youth4Nature Afrika delegates will be attending and participating in all these events to ensure we can reach as many people as possible. We would like to use this opportunity to share our stories, experiences and ideas so that we can all learn from our unique experiences and better understand what conservation in Afrika entails and how to Promote a Sustainable future for Afrika. In the end, our presence here will serve to advance pragmatic efforts toward meaningful youth co-leadership in protected areas and further contribute to the key Afrikan narrative as we gear up towards COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheik for the 27th session of the Climate conference!