Earth charter: a beacon of African youth for a sustainable planet

Abstract

Africa is one of the continents currently facing unstable ways of living due to a myriad of threats such as climate change, environmental degradation, flooding, and poverty that continue to disrupt harmony within the planet. Yet the continent has the youngest, most energetic, and most vibrant youth populace, who can participate in addressing issues affecting the planet. Nearly 60% of its population is below the age of 25. However, such youth cannot start working toward realizing a sustainable planet if they are not empowered with knowledge and skills. Moreover, the lives of several of them have been defined by environmental degradation, political instability, conflict, marginalization, and poverty, giving rise to discontent, frustration, and outright anger—hence, using the Earth Charter to awaken them to become more active, mindful, vigilant, and consistent agents of reversing the current ecological crisis, transforming and sustaining the planet. By getting involved, they will have an influence and multiplier effect of their actions on the world’s behavior patterns toward the universe. The Earth Charter accentuates the significance of empowering youth and children, providing them with learning opportunities that enable them to make significant contributions to sustainable development. The chapter aims to explore how the Earth Charter inspires African youth to cherish a sustainable planet. It also aims to consider how the youth can acquire knowledge and green skills that they can apply to transform the planet. This study employs a desk-based research methodology, including a comprehensive literature review and analysis of secondary data, enriched by deep reflection.