The German-African Youth Initiative (AGYI) has been implemented since 2016 as a pilot initiative by Engagement Global in cooperation with the German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ). It was initiated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in cooperation with the Commission of the African Union (AU). Its mandate was to promote and strengthen youth exchanges between African countries and Germany.
The AGYI pilot phase will expire as planned at the end of 2020. It was an eventful time during which new structures have grown and important impulses have been set, not least for the exchange programs. Many partners and stakeholders of the German-African youth exchange have been able to exchange ideas, meet and network with each other. Especially the direct cooperation was central in gaining reciprocal understanding for the respective living and working worlds and in looking together at interests, expectations and goals - in the spirit of global learning and global partnership (SDG # 17); two core themes of the AGYI.
The Coordination Office at EG would like to take this opportunity to thank all partners and participants of the initiative for their commitment. Namely the AU, BMZ, Réseau AGYI Bénin, Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC), WESSA, Federal Association for Cultural Learning, Children and Youth Education (BKJ), German Sport Youth (dsj), GIZ, the civil society partners, the EG programs ASA, CdW, ENSA, weltwärts and wwB, as well as the MMZ and all others who have supported the AGYI and enriched it in so many ways!
We are grateful to have been able to experience and to help to build these places of encounters, networking and collaborative learning. And we are eagerly looking forward to the future development of the youth exchange between African countries and Germany.
The AGYI's impulses for the German-African youth exchange and voluntary services will continue within the programs of Engagement Global.
Please note that the AGYI website will continue to exist for the time being, but will no longer be actively maintained and updated.
Thank you all very much for your commitment!
The AGYI Coordination Team at Engagement Global
