Mission
African Descent Youth Engagement exists to Empower Youth of African Descent as valuable citizens to contribute to the development of their community.
Vision
Building a strong community driven by young leaders.
About Us
We’re on a mission to empower Youth of African Descent as valuable citizens to contribute to the development of their community.
Our Formation
The African Descent Youth Engagement Society BC (ADYES) Emerged from the African Descent Society BC and now is a fully registered not-for-profit organization in the BC Society Registry established to promote and empower Youth of African Descent and remove barriers affecting them to contribute to policy change in their community in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and beyond. African Descent. The ADYES is Empowered by African Descent Society BC to emerge as an independent fully registered youth-led driven non for profit organization under the BC Society registry to promote and empower Youth of African Descent as responsible citizens contributing to the development of their community and personal growth.
ADYES History
African Descent Youth Engagement started as a Youth driven weekly gathering at African Descent Society BC Offices in Downtown Vancouver East Side Historic African Descent Community. Many youths had various social issues to discuss which affected them like Social Justice, policy change, and the History of African Descent Youth. The youth decided to start hip hop, storytelling, live music, songwriting, and history walking tours in the community live music performance and this was when the decision was made by African Descent Society BC to empower the youth of African Descent to register a full Independent African Descent Youth Engagement Society BC
The Youth was tasked to lead the planning Afro-Latino to return back to our roots in 2019 in partnership with Carnival Del Sol and African Descent Society BC and Yasin M Kiraga as a consultant for the group. The Youth was also involved in the planning and implementation of the African Descent Festival 2019 until it was fully registered as a non for profit organization in 2020. The Youth also initiated a program for planning and celebrating UNESCO International Youth Day. In 2020, African Descent Youth Engagement fully registered as an Independent Non-Governmental Organization with an office in Downtown Vancouver British Columbia. In, 2020, the organization undertook a strategic community mobilization for the Youth of African Descent throughout 2021, the organization established a large group of Youth of African Descent in Vancouver, and some of the Youth were also volunteering and involved in the Vancouver Foundation Fresh Voice youth driven initiative for policy change and advocating refugees in Vancouver.
From a global platform, the African Descent Youth Engagement Society is connected to international organizations working in different geographical regions including Africa, South America, Asia, the Middle East, East, and South. North and West African regional countries. The Organization worked in both African Descent Canadians in South America, the United States, and Canada. African Descent Youth Engagement is a network of various African and multicultural diverse groups in Canada, Africa, the United States, and other countries around the globe where Youth meet with other peers to discuss cultural, social justice, and Human Rights issues affecting the youth today as an important part of the global Citizen Change Makers. ADYES believes Youth as leaders of today and not tomorrow and through youth-driven empowerment initiatives, the African Descent Youth can become an important part of global policy change makers.
Our purposes
The African Descent Society BC is a non-profit organization that exists to foster, empower and increase education, economic development, and tolerance for the preservation and promotion of African Descent, Culture, Customs, Values, History, Arts, Heritage, and way of life within Canada with focus:
- To promote self-esteem and leadership skills among the Youth of African Descent through the Young African Parliament [Y.A.P] and Pan Africanism.
- To promote talent development through sports, music, dance, drama, performing art, creative writing, and acting.
- To engage youth in the meaningful understanding of the history of African Descent through research, writing, and public presentations.
- To engage youth in the meaningful understanding of the history of African Descent through research, writing, and public presentations.
- To promote mentorship among the youth of African descent through African Descent role models. And elders’ engagement through storytelling and or workshops.
- To organize, plan, engage and produce events such as the African Descent Youth summit forum, black history month, and activities that empower Youth of African Descent on issues that affect them.
- To promote peer-to-peer mentoring among schools and communities.
- To promote community outreach and support programs through fundraising activities.
- To connect or associate the Youth of African Descent with employment and job opportunities.
- To promote capacity building among the youth of African descent to advocate issues affecting them and that of their communities.