NAYD
ETHIOPIA 
Addis Ababa Nov 1st - African Union (AU) Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konaré has called on the African youth to remain steadfast to the continent's genuine values of solidarity, sacrifice and justice. In a message to mark the first commemoration of the African Youth Day on 1 November 2007, Konaré said the youth should be the generation of excellence that would successfully defend peace and the sustainable development of Africa.
At their last summit, African leaders proclaimed the first day of November as the African Youth Day and 2008 as the Year of the African Youth." Africa places in you its great hope and we believe that you will achieve the African Renaissance," Konaré said in the message released here on the eve of the African Youth Day. He congratulated the youth for their dynamism, perseverance and spirit of leadership that led to the day's celebration. Recalling the November 2006 launch of the African Youth Charter, the AU's chief executive urged all African Heads of State and Governments, all parliamentarians and ministers in charge of youth to sign, ratify, implement and popularise the Charter as soon as possible. "In all its aspects, the Charter is an efficient and innovative tool to promote the youth. It carries values that include excellence, peace, integrity, participation, respect for human rights and the environment," Konaré said. He urged the youth to share the values of the Charter, which focus on the promotion of education, creativity, solidarity, volunteerism, good governance, human rights and innovative science and technology to develop economic areas that guarantee food security and health.
According to Konaré, achievements of the African youth demonstrate that the youth can work actively and that public and private institutions are not only interested in partnership with the youth, but were also concerned with the promotion of the youth." If we keep this momentum, and as defined by the theme of the Day in 2007, we will be able to involve the creative, pacifist and volunteer opportunities of the youth within the process of modernizing and improving governance and sustainable development of Africa," Konare added.
The African Youth Day will be commemorated under the theme "Partnership between the youth and public authorities".