On December 11, the Valdai Club hosted an expert discussion, titled “The Young Generation in an Era of Change: Dialogue Between Civil Societies of Russia and Africa”.
The role of the Global South is growing, and this applies not only to the Asia-Pacific region, but also to the African continent. Africa is increasingly asserting itself as an independent entity on the world stage, freeing itself from the influence of former metropolises and fighting for independent development. Thus, despite the pressure, African countries did not implement sanctions against Russia. In addition, at the New Delhi summit in September, the African Union became a permanent member of the Group of Twenty (G20).
Africa is the continent with the youngest and fastest-growing population. According to a UN forecast, by 2050 Africans will most likely make up more than a quarter of humanity. That is why the future of not only the continent, but the entire planet depends on what African youth will be like. In this context, strengthening ties between the younger generation of Russia and Africa is a particularly promising and dynamic area of cooperation.
In the modern multipolar world, new formats of interethnic and supranational interaction are emerging. Public opinion is formed on the basis of the value of human life, the uniqueness of our cultural, historical and linguistic heritage, and respect for economic and political sovereignty. However, the foreign policy situation today complicates all forms of relationships between peoples. In these conditions, interpersonal communication remains the most effective way to establish a dialogue between Russia and African countries.
How does the historical experience of mutual assistance affect relations with African countries today? What role do education and the graduates of Russian universities play in cooperation with Africa? How do African countries perceive Russia’s confrontation with Western countries? What social values can both Russians and Africans share? What do you see as Russia’s strengths in the information space and the public opinion of African countries? Participants in the discussion tried to answer these and other questions.
Speakers:
- Andrey Avetisyan, Ambassador of Russia to the Republic of Tanzania
- Pavel Shevtsov, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo
- Andrey Maslov, Director, Centre for African Studies, HSE University.
- Nathalia Zaiser, Chair of the Board, Africa Business Initiative Union
- Leonid Protsenko, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology of Personality Development, Moscow Pedagogical State University
- Bening Ahmed, Secretary General of the Pan African Youth Union
- Jafar Geletu, Deputy Executive Director of the Institute of International Relations at the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English.