YOUNG people shared their views at the Model African Union, reports Reem Leila. In the presence of several prominent and high-ranking African figures, a number of Arab and African youths participated in the Model African Union (MAU) to discuss the challenges facing them and how to overcome them. The MAU comes in implementation of recommendations made by Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi during the World Youth Forum (WYF) which convened in Sharm El-Sheikh in November last year. “All youth are capable of changing the existing reality,” President Al-Sisi told participants in the MAU which took place in Cairo earlier this week. According to the president, challenges facing African countries are one, saying all African countries suffer from unemployment, poor education, early marriage, misconceptions, extremism, terrorism and illegal immigration. The president stressed that there are issues, if solved, would enhance the status of the African continent, including stability, fighting terrorism, good education and providing job opportunities for youth. The African Union simulation model is an extension of the simulation models of the National Academy of Training and Rehabilitation of Youth which, according to Al-Sisi, is the gateway for training youth to take over leadership in Egypt. President Al-Sisi promised the youths to let them take part in the African Union summit to present their views to the union, pledging to implement their vision during Egypt's presidency of the AU. Egypt will host the African summit in 2019. MAU featured discussions on challenges facing African youth and how to overcome them. Its main recommendations focused on enhancing the involvement of African youth in the activities of the African Union and their empowerment. The MAU also stressed the importance of conducting a semi-annual meeting of young Africans at the National Academy for Youth Rehabilitation to periodically discuss issues of importance to African youths to be put on the agenda of African summits. The recommendations also welcomed Egypt's invitation to host an Arab-African youth summit on the sidelines of the World Youth Forum, in cooperation with the League of Arab States and the African Union. Recommendations also called for making 2019 a year for African youth.
