13/10/2025
16:00 - 17:00
Nature-based Education Pavilion
Why attend
Home to vital ecosystems and a youthful population, Africa’s conservation future is tied to its youth. This session, featuring AWF-Wall Policy Fellows, explores how young Africans are reshaping conservation and identifies key levers, barriers, and opportunities through intergenerational dialogue and visioning exercises.
Session Description
Africa is home to some of the world’s critical ecosystems, but it is also a continent defined by its youth. With about 70% of the population under the age of 35 and a median age of 19, the future of African conservation is inseparable from that of its youth. As countries pursue economic growth, it is critical to equip youth to drive nature-positive change. The African Wildlife Foundation is investing in this potential through programs like the AWF-Wall Youth Leadership Program, which equips emerging conservationists with skills in policy, research and community engagement. For youth to meaningfully shape conservation policy and innovation, institutional systems must support intergenerational collaboration and inclusive governance. This session draws on experiences of Policy Fellows to explore how young Africans are reimagining conservation through bottom-up, African-led models. Through intergenerational dialogue, participants will identify the levers, barriers, and opportunities to build an inclusive and resilient conservation movement.Partners
Commission on Education and Communication
Wildlife Conservation Action ( Zimbabwe )
Community Conservation Fund of Namibia
Indian Ocean Islands Foundation
Abdelmalek Essaadi University
Speaker
