CRIDOC Team Leader Edward Phiri made a solidarity speech at the 2016 SADC Peoples’ Summit. Edward, a youth activist and national coordinator of the Youth Act Alliance Malawi Chapter, made the speech on behalf of the Malawi delegation in Manzini, Swaziland.

In his speech, he placed great emphasis on several key issues. First, he spoke about the pressing need to end child marriages and highlighted the importance of following the SADC model law. Second, he discussed youth employment and empowerment, noting the crucial role that these play in shaping the future of the African continent.

During the discussion, he referenced the African Youth Charter and the African Union Youth Decade Plan of Action. These two frameworks are essential in guiding efforts to promote African youth development. The African Youth Charter, for instance, outlines the rights, freedoms, and responsibilities of young people in Africa.

In addition, the African Youth Charter seeks to promote youth participation in decision-making processes and enhance their access to education, employment, and healthcare services. The video above provides more information about the Africa Youth Charter and the youth as a solution to African problems.

On the other hand, the African Union Youth Decade Plan of Action provides a comprehensive framework for addressing the challenges facing young people in Africa. It aimed to empower and equip the youth with the necessary skills and knowledge to drive development in Africa.

Furthermore, the solidarity speech touched upon the topic of tax justice, stressing the importance of ensuring everyone pays their fair share of taxes. Overall, the speech was a call to action for all stakeholders to work together to create a better future for Africa’s youth and address the challenges holding them back.

Lastly, the solidarity speech called on the Peoples Summit to ensure that youth and child issues are prominent in the communiqué.  He implored that the summit also develop a road map for easy follow-up on topics other than coming up with new problems, as the 2015 issues remain unsolved.

During the summit, the ZIMRIGHTS invited Edward to be a panellist at its breakaway session on governance. 

The 2016 SADC Peoples Summit was held under the theme “A peoples-driven SADC committed to total liberation for all.”