How Africa's youth wants to save democracy

Africa's young population often finds itself facing aging, autocratic rulers. Unwilling to settle for democratic rituals alone, many are searching for creative new ways to shape their future. https://p.dw.com/p/5FYHyWhether in Nigeria, Angola, Tanzania or Cameroon: Young people want to have a say (top right: student Mbayo Akiri; bottom left: musician Wakazi)Image: DWAdvertisement"We are not only the future, we are the present," says a young man named Clinton on a street in Lusaka, Zambia. "But are they listening to us?" "There is no Cameroon anymore," says Jean David Blot in Douala. He is part of the grassroots movement "The Okwelians." "We have to rebuild everything. Everything." "If you want to run for office, that is great," says student Mbayo Akiri in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. "But there are certain systems that ensure that certain types of people do not get beyond a certain point." They represent a trend that can be felt across Africa: A young generation, motivated and full of ideas, wants to make decisions and create change — but is confronted with the limits of a system maintained by a small, often aging elite. The opportunities seem limited. Is democratic participation a dead end, or are there new paths? These are the questions DW explores in a mini-series featuring reports from five African countries. Not lost in frustration: African youth in politicsTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Africa is a young continent. According to the data platform Worldometer, the current median age is 19.5 years — meaning that around half of all people living in Africa are under 20. In 2023, of roughly 1.5 billion Africans, more than 870 million were under the age of 25, while only 53 million were 65 or older. How young Africans view democracy was examined by researchers Christine Hackenesch and Godfred Bonnah Nkansah in a meta-study for the interdisciplinary "Megatrends Afrika" research initiative by German institutes funded by the government. Using survey data from the platform "Afrobarometer" collected over several years, they identified a trend: Young people in Africa are increasingly less likely to go to the polls. "Young people are disillusioned with their governments," Bonnah Nkansah told DW. "They feel that it would not make much difference whether they vote or not." The credibility of elections and electoral fraud are perceived as major problems among young people: "There are ruling parties that bypass constitutions in order to remain in power." But they are not willing to simply accept this, says the researcher from Ghana's Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre: "The data shows that young people are increasingly exploring alternative ways of political influence — for example through protests." These protests are taking place on the streets of Africa's major cities — and in the digital space, where people organize through social networks. Kyle Findlay, co-founder of the digital consulting firm Murmur Intelligence, approached the issue from a different angle. The South Africa-headquartered firm analyzes activity on social networks — including in the context of elections. One conclusion he draws from numerous analyses: "People in Africa no longer rely on democracy as strongly as they used to. Of course, there are differences depending on the country, but the perception is that democracy in Africa has not consistently delivered the desired results." When democracies fail to create better living conditions for people, when they suppress freedom of expression, frustration grows — as does the desire for change. As the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan increasingly cracked down on social openness in Tanzania, many people took to the streets. For student Mbayo Akiri, this represents a clear break with culture: "We were raised with this idea of not questioning authority. When a person in authority speaks, you listen." But that has changed. "We are not known for protests. Our neighbors are, but we are not." Akiri welcomes the change — but it also scares her. She doesn't participate in the protests: "There are ears everywhere. And you never know who will be next." She does not mean this as criticism, she adds — it is simply how the government operates. "But I think our lives could be better." In reality, the Tanzanian government's crackdown has made demonstrations almost impossible. Resistance has increasingly moved online. According to Bonnah Nkansah, the virtual space offers numerous possibilities — especially when it comes to spreading political information or mobilizing people. "Social networks seem to be a good way to amplify shared concerns. I talk about unemployment there, another person picks it up, and suddenly it creates, for example on X, a wave." Youth turn to digital activism as Tanzania clamps downTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that suppo

How Africa's youth wants to save democracy

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