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The AGYI is a joint initiative

The AGYI sees itself as a joint initiative. It is supported by governmental and non-governmental actors.

As a political initiative, the AGYI brings together international actors from politics, civil society and business. These collaborations result in a wide range of opportunities to come closer to the AGYI’s defined goals. For example, the Autumn School for Start Ups closes the gap between theory and practice for young entrepreneurs from Germany and Africa. In a joint dialogue, innovative forms of sustainable management are discussed and tested. Entrepreneurial knowledge is jointly generated and international networks established.

Governmental partners

The Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ - Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) initiated the AGYI as part of its Africa Initiative adopted in 2014. For the long-term success of the AGYI, the BMZ entered into a cooperation agreement with the African Union Commission to jointly implement the AGYI at the political level. They decide on the strategic implementation of the AGYI pilot project together with the German and African partner organisations. These governmental partners meet once a year with the other stakeholders of the AGYI to discuss the further orientation. In addition, the AGYI receives support from decision-makers or structures of the national governments of all participating countries.

Civil society partners

In the pilot phase of the AGYI, three African civil society structures from Benin, South Africa and Tanzania are responsible for the implementation and realisation of measures and activities in the three African pilot countries. The Réseau AGYI Bénin network in Benin, WESSA: People caring for the Earth (WESSA) in South Africa and the Tanzania Youth Coalition (TYC) in Tanzania are currently responsible for setting up the desired African-German structures in the pilot countries and their surrounding regions. They were selected by the African Union as implementing organisations (IOs). They are supported in the technical implementation of the AGYI in the African partner countries by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Engagement Global coordinates the conceptual work of the AGYI. The coordination office of the African-German Youth Initiative is located here. In Germany, the AGYI acts in an advisory function for sponsors and interested parties and is responsible for the overall coordination of the initiative.

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Advisory partners

In order to strengthen the quality and quantity of African-German youth exchanges in Germany and Africa, and to include the perspectives of German civil society, the resonance group of the AGYI coordination office was founded.

Advisory partners within the resonance group are the Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung (BKJ) and Deutsche Sportjugend (dsj), civil society partners of the exchange programmes of Engagement Global, such as the quality associations of the development volunteers service “weltwärts” and the ASA Alumni Network. Furthermore, the development policy organisations Germanwatch e.V. and bridge_it! e.V. are represented, as well as NEMIB e.V. - Netzwerk Migrantenorganisationen Brandenburg. In addition, Engagement Global exchange programmes provide two contact persons for the resonance group.

The aim of the resonance group is to enable a trustworthy and equitable expert dialogue of all participants in order to critically accompany the implementation of the AGYI goals and to promote it through consultation and expertise.