Sierra Leone Telegraph: 11 September 2018:
The eight edition of the Africities Summit will take place from November 20-24, 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco, under the theme: “The transition towards sustainable cities and territories: The role of Local and Sub- national governments of Africa.”
The Africities summit is the flagship event of the pan African Organization United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa. The summit is held every three years in one of the five regions on the continent.
The Africities 2018 Summit will be organized by the Kingdom of Morocco, UCLG Africa, and the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils (AMPCC). 5000 participants are expected at the event, representing all the stakeholders of African local life as well as their partners from other regions of the world, including: the Ministers (for local governments), Ministers for housing and urban development, public service, finance, leaders and officials of city and subnational governments, representatives of the business sector, civil society organizations and trade unions; traditional and moral authorities, researchers and academia, development partners and international cooperation agencies, among others. For this edition, a special focus will be given to youth.
To ensure that the voice of youth is heard, UCLG Africa has joined forces with BEES 55, a solidarity network that focuses on programs that create jobs and develops entrepreneurs, to organize the Youth Forum-Creative Lab. UN Habitat – Safer Cities Program, and UNESCO – Science, Technology and Innovation have also pledged their support for Africities Youth Forum.
In the framework of the 2018 Africities Summit Youth Forum, a competition has been launched that is open to young Africans.
Its aim is to harvest as many ideas as possible that will accelerate the transition towards sustainable cities and territories in Africa, targeting the main Global Agendas (Agenda 2030 of the United Nations for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Agenda 2063 of the African Union for the realization of “The Africa We Want,” and the five priorities (High Five) proposed by the African Development Bank to accelerate its implementation).
Its mains objectives are to contribute to find the best strategies to improve the living conditions of Africans and define solutions to accelerate the dynamic of integration, peace building and unity on the continent, starting from its territories.
The Youth Forum is open to young Africans aged between 15 and 35, from Africa and from the Diaspora. The competition aims to select 20 young Africans who will be invited, free of charge, to the 2018 Africities Summit, where they will participate in a Creativity Lab consisting of a Cartoon Camp Challenge and a Virtual Reality Contest.
The topic will be “Imagine a sustainable future for Africa and its cities and territories, in 2030 and 2063.”
Those selected to participate in the Creative Young Innovators Lab will be required to work during the first 4 days of Africities (from November 20 to 23, 2018) in the Cartoon Camp Challenge; helping the participants to project themselves into the future.
The Cartoon Camp promotes a mindset conducive to innovation. Building dreams is at the root of any innovation project. The Cartoon Camp will help participants to think about smart cities and smart economies based on African values and ways to produce an adequate standard of living for Africans.
The Cartoon Camp will allow young people to think about Africa with all its imperfections and all its qualities and to suggest solutions inspired by local know-how and also by new technologies.
Projects may concern: the organization of city systems in different countries or the continent as a whole; spatial planning or organization of a city in a country of interest; proposals for different types of construction, buildings, housing, equipment, street furniture or any other product, that highlights a dynamic, sustainable development, takes into account the latest technological developments, and respect the most fundamental African values.
The Virtual Reality Contest that will consist of a hackathon competition. Participants will conceptualize, create and plan prototypes of IT solutions to speed up the transition towards sustainable cities and territories in Africa, with priority given to the following areas: energy solutions, food security, access to water and sanitation services, waste management and waste valorisation, development and maintenance of infrastructure for transport, mobility and telecommunication, tourism, culture and heritage, education, health systems, other solutions…
The qualified prototypes will then be submitted to the Africities 2018 delegates for the selection of the 3 best projects from the Creative Lab, Virtual Reality Category. Submissions will take place during the AWARD Ceremony of the closing Gala Dinner on November 24, 2018.
For each category, three laureates of the Africities 2018 Young Innovators will receive respectively: • 1st Position: 5,000 euros • 2nd Position: 3,000 euros • 3rd Position: 1,500 euros. In addition, the winner of each category (1st Position) will benefit from a 1-year mentoring program to further develop their projects with the assistance of senior professionals identified by the organizers. It’s time for youth to make a change on the continent.
How to submit your application?
Send a 4 page storyboard explaining your ideas, with an annex of support illustrations that may include drawings, plans, diagrams, virtual images, IT tools, etc., depending on the category you are entering, (Cartoon Camp or Virtual Reality). The storyboard and annexes must be received no later than September 30, 2018 at 17:00 GMT.
Register now here: www.Africities.org/youthforum/registration/
On October 15, 2018, the Jury, selected by the organizers, will announce the final results of the competition.
Watch the video presentation of submission here: www.africities.org/youthforum/about-the-youth-forum/
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