Youth and international spaces

Despite South Africa having a vibrant and radical youth, as witnessed during the 1976 Uprising and recently with the #FeesMustFall protests, the involvement of young people in international diplomacy remains frustrating.

During a recent youth dialogue, hosted by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) under the theme; Enhancing Representation and Leadership of Youth in Foreign Policy Space, a number of young people called for the institutionalization of transcontinental spaces, inclusivity at DIRCO, and to be considered for the country’s foreign relations posts. 


The panel discussion had uncovered the lack of youth involvement not only in foreign policy-making, but also on the global programs such the Build Back Better, as countries around the world sought to rebuild post the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Acting Chief Operations Officer (COO) at DIRCO, Charlotte Lobe, said the rules and protocol in international diplomacy were sometimes too complex. However, the young panel was adamant that a tangible way forward was needed to involve the youth in foreign relations.

The programme’s moderator, Levi Singh, had also acknowledged the elitism and generation disconnect that existed in such spaces, and remarked the need for intergenerational solidarity.

There was consensus among the panel that international relations today was no longer a government space, but that other forms of diplomacy, like in the arts and technology, needed to be harnessed. 

The youth was advised to better prepare themselves by building up profiles aligned to diplomacy to take up global spaces when such opportunities presented themselves.

The event was held virtually on 23 June.

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