How Do Young People in Western Europe
and East Africa See the Future?
- Full Report A Common Study conducted and summarized by the participants
of the Exchange Programme “Go Africa…Go Germany 2011/2012”
Preface
The “Go Africa… Go Germany…” programme is designed to bridge the knowledge
gap between the realities and perceptions that Germans and Africans have of
each other. It is conceptualised and organized by the Federal Agency for Civic
Education/bpb and it is under the patronage of the President of the Federal
Republic of Germany, Joachim Gauck.
The exchange programme took place for the fifth time from 14th to 30th August,
2011 in Germany and from 26th February to 14th March, 2012 in Kenya and South
Sudan. The programme is mainly aimed at students and young graduates up to
the age of 28 engaged in the subject areas of political science, international
relations, economics, media science and law. By bringing together this young
generation of academics and young professionals, it aims at encouraging an
interdisciplinary and intercultural exchange and learning experience.
One of the major aims of the programme is to acquire a creative human basis for
future German-African cooperation and to facilitate exchange between the
scholarship-holders and established experts in the fields of economics, politics
and law. To date, participants from all over Germany and more than 20 African
countries have travelled together through Germany and at least one African
country on the second part of the program. In 2007, the trip led us to Namibia; in
2009 to Tanzania and Uganda; in 2010 to Ghana and Nigeria; in 2011 to South
Africa and Swaziland, in 2012 to Kenya and South Sudan, and in 2013 a new group
of participants will travel to Ghana and Senegal.
By means of peer-teaching and on-going training, scholarship-holders will be able
to act as multipliers of the lessons they have learned in Germany and Africa within
their respective local contexts. The cooperation on an ambitious project for over a
year in the form of a Common Study serves as the first collaborative effort
between all 26 “Go Africa… Go Germany…” scholarship-holders. The focus lies on
topics related to youth in Germany and Africa, and the German-African
Partnership.
The participants of the fifth generation of the “Go Africa… Go Germany…”
programme set out to work together on a pilot-study in which they sought to find
out more about the fears and hopes of young people. They organized workshops
and conducted interviews in several towns in Western Europe (Berlin, Wuppertal,
Madrid, London, Naples), and Eastern Africa (Nairobi, Eldoret, Kampala and Addis
Ababa). The results will be distributed to academics and decision-makers for
further discussion. The “Full Report” presents a summary of the broader research
report, further summarized in the “Major Findings” as a part of this paper.
For more information and for accessing previous Common Papers, please visit the
website of this programme: www.bpb.de/goafrica
2
We, the fifth generation of “Go Africa… Go Germany” are proud to
present…
…the Report of the Common Study, conducted and written by the
scholarship holders of the exchange programme “Go Africa… Go
Germany 2011/12”:
Lealem Mersha Abebe (Ethiopia)
Jamad Hersi Artan (Somalia)
Harald Eisenhauer (Germany)
Lara Fleischer (Germany)
Louisa Frey (Germany)
Christoph Gollasch (Germany)
Nuria Grigoriadis (Germany)
Maria Herwig (Germany)
Jonas von der Heyden (Germany)
Peter Kamero (Kenya)
Doreen G. Karake (Rwanda)
Laureen Keter (Kenya)
Veronica Kibati (Kenya)
Sascha Klocke (Germany)
Katja Kruse (Germany)
Daniel Mwihia Mburu (Kenya)
Lulu S. Mohamedy (Tanzania)
Jasper Oketta (Uganda)
Veto Samuel Oyath (South Sudan)
Vanessa Rau (Germany)
Matthias Runge-Rannow (Germany)
Julia Salkowski (Germany)
Mercy Shahale (Kenya)
Monica Wabuke (Kenya)
Stanley Kamau (Kenya)
Inez von Weitershausen (Germany)
Responsibility: Miriam Shabafrouz, social scientist, PhD student and alumni, participant of
“Go Africa… Go Germany 2007”, mshabafrouz@gmail.com
3
How Do Young People in Western Europe
and East Africa See the Future?
Content
1.
Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 5
2.
What are the problems of the young generation? .................................................................. 8
a.
Main perception of problems in Eastern Africa .......................................................................... 9
b.
Main perception of problems in Western Europe .................................................................... 11
c.
Comparison and conclusion ...................................................................................................... 14
3.
Which future do young people wish for? ............................................................................. 16
a.
Main hopes of young people regarding the future in Eastern Africa........................................ 17
b.
Main hopes of young people regarding the future in Western Europe .................................... 19
c.
Comparison and conclusion ...................................................................................................... 21
4.
How can the youth realize their dreams and improve the future?......................................... 22
a.
Main steps considered by young people in Eastern Africa ....................................................... 23
b.
Main steps considered by young people in Western Europe ................................................... 24
c.
Comparison and conclusion ...................................................................................................... 25
5.
Major Findings .................................................................................................................... 26
6.
References .......................................................................................................................... 30
7.
Annex ................................................................................................................................. 31
4
1. Introduction
Young people around the globe face many
economic,
social
and
environmental
challenges today. How do they perceive these
challenges? What is their general outlook on
the future? And do optimistic or pessimistic
views dominate? These and more questions
led to the idea of a pilot study to gain first
insights in the perceptions of the future held
by young people in Eastern Africa and
Western Europe and to discuss similarities and
differences between the two regions.
for today’s youth and if so, how they deal with
them in Western Europe and East Africa.
The ideas of the youth of their future
prospects and the potential of their societies
to offer them a better life are a topic worth
studying; it’s also very relevant in a time of
global transition. Personal perceptions of
young people, their fears and hopes can lead
to social apathy or positive change and be a
source of creative solutions for existing
problems. The Common Study of the “Go
Africa… Go Germany 2011/12” programme
collects spontaneous answers and examines
ideas that might inspire further reflection on
developments to come and thereby be an
enriching contribution to on-going debates of
the evolution of global society in general and
the situation of the current young generation.
Recent events in North Africa and the Middle
East have focused attention to the situation of
young people there and elsewhere. The ongoing global economic downturn and financial
crises have further increased the risks young
people
all
over
the
world
face.
Unemployment, poverty or the risk of it can
have far reaching impacts on the professional
and family goals of young people, and
influence their attitude towards life and
society. At the same time, young people
(especially young women) today have more
freedom to choose an individual lifestyle and
more chances to achieve than their parents or
grandparents had in their youth. Some of the
well-educated, globalized young adults have
very good possibilities of improving their
situation further. The picture is therefore very
different depending on the opportunities a
young person is offered and able to use. His or
her perception of the future might differ along
these lines, too.
“Youth” is not a homogenous category. It can
be defined by a certain age, which we set at
18-28 years, capturing “young adults”. Other
definitions of youth start at an earlier age (e.g.
13 or 15 years) but we decided that the age of
maturity and formal adulthood is a better
starting point because many young people
then begin to take more responsibility for
their own life and future. Of course, this young
generation is not homogeneous in terms of
their educational and socio-economic
background and respective opportunities. The
present study would have liked to include all
people in this age category but mainly
collected answers from more educated ones,
such as graduate and post-graduate students
or young professionals. A few interviews were
conducted with youth in Berlin from lower
socio-economic strata, some of whom have
dropped out of school. This leads to slightly
contrasting answers. The other interviewees
show some variance in their socio-economic
background: some respondents in both
regions indicate having a “lower class” or
“lower-middle class” background, while others
indicate a higher socio-economic background,
which could be one of many possible factors
influencing their perceptions on the future.
Other issues like demographic developments
with a high proportion of young people in
many countries of the global South (described
as a “youth bulge”) and with low fertility rates
in many Northern countries (“ageing
societies”) pose different problems to policymakers and the youth themselves.
Environmental issues and the changing
climate may affect all of humanity but have
more immediate effects in some regions than
in others. While a few societies provide welldeveloped welfare systems and social
networks, others leave young people in a
much more precarious situation. We wanted
to establish whether such issues are important
5
Literature Review
A more transcontinental approach is followed
in “Youth and the City in the Global South” by
Karen Tranberg Hansen (2008). International
surveys are provided by the World Youth
Report (e.g. 2007; 2010), edited by the UN
Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
which gives a good overview on the different
situations young people face across countries
and world regions.
The situation of young people, their values
and tastes is a popular field of study for social
sciences, but it is far from being entirely
explored. Existing studies are partly used for
basic research, partly as an information base
for policy-making and educational or
marketing purposes. Important studies in
Germany investigating values and goals of
young people are for instance the Shell Youth
Study (2006; 2010), the Sinus Milieu Study for
youth (Calmbach et al. 2012) or the work of
other researchers (e.g. Gille et al. 2006 or
Sturzbecher and Holtmann 2007).1 In Europe,
the Eurobarometer’s European Youth Survey
(2007; 2011) presents useful information on
different priorities of life and the importance
of political commitment for young people
across EU-member states. Cross-country
analyses are frequent on the European level
on specific issues (such as the PISA-Study
focusing on education or a new Flash
Eurobarometer Survey [2011] focusing on
mobility of young people, to give just a few
examples). Frequent topics are the effects of
migration background or the impact of an
intense use of digital media. The study edited
by Hans-Peter Blossfeld (2006): “Globalization,
Uncertainty and Youth in Society”, comparing
the impact of globalization on young people in
14 different European and Northern American
countries is a remarkable one. The authors’
thesis is that globalization and modernization
affects the situation and behaviour of the
youth across the globe (Mills/Blossfeld 2006:
1-2), which they confirm with empirical
results.
The results of the different studies influenced
our proceeding, but the methods and
perspectives applied here differ. As
comparative analyses involving countries from
the “Global North” and “Global South” beyond
mere statistics is rather rare or inexistent, we
are exploring the possibilities to undertake
this kind of comparison of youth in Eastern
Africa and Western Europe by asking them the
same questions. We decided to initiate a field
study and ask young people in different
Western European and Eastern African cities
what they think on their current situation,
what intrigues them, and what they wish to
change in the future. An important question
was also if they think they could contribute to
change by their own action and how. As
indicated in the title of this study, the key
question we aim to provide answers to is: How
do young people in Western Europe and East
Africa see their future? This question is
descriptive and explorative at the same time,
and it should in a second step allow the
formulation of analytic questions or
assumptions, based on the results of the
investigation.
Aim and Method of this study
The common study applied a mix of two
qualitative methods: on the one hand “future
workshops” and on the other hand interviews
with individual respondents. The Future
Workshop was originally developed for citizen
groups with limited resources who wanted a
say in the decision making process. It is a
technique meant to shed light on a common
problematic situation, to generate visions
about the future, and to discuss how these
visions can be realised (Apel 2004). The
scholarship-holders of the “Go Africa…Go
Germany” programme used the workshops to
foster
interdisciplinary
exchange
and
Cross-country surveys in Africa are for
instance provided by the UN Economic
Commission for Africa with the African Youth
Report (e.g. 2009; 2011). Pertinent studies on
youth and their values in different African
countries are for instance the “The Makers
and the Breakers. Children and youth in
postcolonial Africa” (Honwana and de Boeck
2005), “Africa’s Restless Youth” (Gavin 2007),
or Jon Abbink’s (ed. 2005) “Vanguard or
vandals: youth, politics and conflict in Africa”.
1
Please see the reference list for further
information.
6
deepening of knowledge, benefiting from
group dynamism and creativity. They
organized four “future workshops”, each with
10-28 participants in Berlin (Germany),
Kampala (Uganda), Nairobi and Eldoret (both
Kenya) (in total we reached 65 youth through
the workshops), all going through three
phases:
identification
of
problems,
development of fantasies and implementation
steps. The results of the collective
brainstorming processes were summarized in
reports for further analysis
we acknowledge that further research is
indispensable, we are confident that our
research represents a good basis to identify
common problems, similarities, and regional
differences.
Our study consists of three main parts. The
first part (Chapter 2) will concentrate on
perceived current problems. It will be founded
on responses dealing with the identification of
common problems for young Europeans and
East Africans. Differentiated as individual,
social, and global problems, this part will
present assumptions on regional similarities
and differences. The second part (Chapter 3)
will introduce the positive fantasies, hopes
and imaginations of the youth. Our
respondents’ main hopes will be identified,
categorized, and analysed. Again, we will
establish key assumptions along the
individual, social, and global axes, to
determine common patterns as well as
interpret the results. The third part (Chapter
4) gathers and categorizes our respondents’
concrete
recommendations
for
the
implementation of their visions. Under the
consideration of responsibility, ownership,
and policies, we will present key assumptions
on what the youth in Europe and East Africa
sees as the main steps to achieve the future
they are hoping for.
Additionally, we conducted many interviews
with young people in several East African and
Western European towns, more precisely in
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Nairobi (Kenya),
Wuppertal, Speyer and Berlin (all in Germany),
Naples (Italy), Madrid (Spain), London (UK),
Oxford (UK), which brought the results of 101
interviewees. We asked open questions, to dig
into the current perceptions by inviting our
interlocutors to speak openly about fears and
imaginations. The results of the interviews
were summarized in a standardized spread
sheet, making the summary and comparison
easier. From these interviews we obtained
insights into what young people are going
through; the problems they face on a
personal, societal and global level, as well as
their hopes and aspirations for the future.
From the data available, we set out to propose
assumptions on the factors that influence
these perceptions and beliefs they express.
The questionnaire was developed by the
scholarship-holders themselves and is
attached to the annex of this study. The
method of analysis is exclusively qualitative,
and thereby the analysis was led by the
systematic estimation of the 24 participants in
group discussions during our common
journeys and via mail communication in
between and thereafter.
All our results will be summarized in the
conclusion (Chapter 5). The study will show
that fundamental fears and hopes often do
not differ. Focal points, however, were
sometimes very different. This illustrates how
individual aspirations are shaped by the social
context the young people live in.
The readers of our study can also find an
annex, which includes an outline of our
interview questionnaire, workshop guidelines,
as well as an overview of the conducted
interviews and workshops. We will also attach
a self-composed song as an example of
creative non-scientific results of our
deliberations and workshops.
Structure of the study
In this study report, we present the summary
of the results of our workshops and
interviews. As a pilot study, we undertake to
generate first assumptions or hypotheses for
the understanding of youths’ perception of
their future in both Europe and East Africa and
organize our results along these lines. While
Scope and limits of the data and analysis
The study should be understood as a
sociological pilot study, aimed at providing a
7
first impression on general perceptions young
urban adults have on the future. Several
similarities and differences among different
groups can be identified, which can be used
for the formulation of assumption. It is not
possible to use this format for the testing or
development of any theory, as it was clear
from the start that several scientific criteria
could not be met due to practical reasons.
short answers of the questionnaires. Further
research might broaden the targeted groups,
adding more respondents with other
educational
levels
or
socio-economic
backgrounds to diversify the results. Next
year’s common study will take on the result of
the present one and investigate the situation
in Western Africa and other Western
European cities.
The information base at hand was collected by
the scholarship holders in their respective
home or residential towns. The choice of
these cities was due to the location of the
participants. The interviewees were in some
cases acquaintances of the interviewers;
thereby it becomes clear that not all of them
were chosen by strict scientific categories of
randomness and representativeness. But as
the aim of the study was not to be
representative for the young generation as a
whole, but to get impressions on the
differences or similarities between (Western)
European and (Eastern) African youth, this
proceeding was absolutely in accordance with
this aim.
2. What are the problems
of the young generation?
Youth in both Eastern Africa and Europe face
several similar and yet different challenges
due to changing demands in a globalized
world. These challenges are manifest in a
myriad of ways, for instance in the labour
markets in Europe and East Africa. The ability
and opportunity to work is influenced by the
educational system and it impacts on their
social life and family planning decision.
Education is a central part of youth identity for
a number of reasons. In East Africa,
particularly in Kenya, strong emphasis has
been placed to ensuring each individual is
entitled to free and compulsory basic
education. This is in line with achieving the
Millennium Development Goal (as outlined by
the United Nations and others in 2001) of
achieving universal basic education and
gender parity in education. In Western Europe
the great majority of teenagers are enrolled in
education and training institutions, and even
at later ages high percentages (though not
necessarily majorities) of youths continue to
be engaged in activities which increase their
formal qualifications.
The main goal was to provide the
collaborators of this study with the unique
opportunity to work together in a
transnational project and imagine steps to
shape a better future for all regions. This study
should contribute to realize one of the goals
of the exchange programme: bridging the gap
between African realities and German
perceptions and German realities and African
perceptions. Each of the interviewed persons
or the participants of the workshops can be
considered as a qualified representative of the
current generation of young adults. The
assumptions
summarize
tendencies
represented in our database, not monopolist
opinions. Several remarkable quotes support
our arguments, but they need to be
considered as one of many answers.2
But substantial differences continue to exist
between Western Europe and East Africa as
regards education enrolment, participation,
opportunities and effects. In Africa at large,
overall participation in tertiary education is
still low. Very few young people from
vulnerable groups – such as in some places
girls, persons with disabilities, young persons
living in rural, remote and marginalized areas,
young people caught up in conflict situations –
It could be envisaged to conduct several indepth interviews to go beyond the rather
2
For each quotation, the source will be indicated in
this order: gender, age, nationality, Interviewnumber, Question Number; the interviewee
remains anonymous.
8
have the opportunity to access higher
education because of limited resources to
meet education costs, amongst other
challenges.
demographic challenges in the different parts
of the world for now and in the future.
In the following, the answers of East African
and Western youth are first analysed
separately to then identify similarities and
differences in a comparison.
Inasmuch as Europe offers youth better
opportunities for education, inequalities in
these opportunities continue to exist. Even
though there has been a certain degree of
convergence among countries as regards basic
school structures, differences relating to
education
systems’
standardization,
stratification, vocational specificity and
expansion of tertiary education deeply affect
individuals’ success on the labour market. This
leaves some European youth uncertain of
taking decisions regarding their professional
career.
a. Main perception of problems in
Eastern Africa
East African youth were concerned with the
high unemployment rates, as well as health
and security issues and value conflicts
prevalent in their societies.
 Unemployment and rising cost of living
are key concerns for the East African
youth
For more and more young people it becomes
difficult to finding gainful employment.
Indeed, the youth, especially the school-going
ones, see their friends, brothers, sisters and
cousins who complete school before them
staying for long periods at home without
gainful or productive employment.
The
employment situation has become critical and
labour absorption problematic. A majority of
interviewees identified unemployment as one
of the more serious socio-economic problems
currently confronting many people in East
Africa and Europe.
The fear of unemployment was mentioned in
the Eastern Africa workshops both in Kenya
and Uganda. The youth were especially
concerned with the rising level of
unemployment. Also
many
interviewees
mentioned this problem, naming for example
“unemployment,
the
worse
economic
condition and societal isolation and rejection”3
as one of their greatest fears. There can be
risks for society as well: “Lack of employment
has made idle youth to engage in vices so as to
survive and support themselves.”4
Not surprisingly, the topic of family planning is
of high importance for young people all over
the world. Most young people are at one
point of their early life confronted with the
choice to start – or not to start – their own
family. Yet it is also clear that regional
differences are prevailing, which becomes
evident when looking at varying reproduction
patterns in Europe and Africa. Fertility rates in
Western Europe are among the world’s
lowest, with Germany, Spain and Italy all
around 1.4 birth per women, to mention only
the countries we conducted interviews in (UK
is with a rate of 1.9 slightly less affected by
demographic decline). By contrast, the fertility
rates are among the highest in the African
countries, with Uganda (6.1), Tanzania (5.5),
Ethiopia (5.3), Kenya (4.7) South Sudan (3.9)
(World Bank 2012). This indicates different
The concern was on two levels, firstly, among
youth that had dropped out of school and
secondly among those with University
education and highly qualified. Thus one could
conclude that the youth did not necessarily
think that having university education and
being
highly
qualified
guaranteed
employment. The unemployment level was
discussed against the background of a rising
cost of living and high inflation both in Uganda
and Kenya.
Other issues related to unemployment and
rising cost of living were raised in the other
Eastern African countries, Ethiopia and South
Sudan. These included concerns over not
3
Female, 19, Ethiopian, Interview 1-1, Addis
Ababa.
4
Future Workshop, Nairobi, Group 3.
9
making enough money for survival, not having
sustainable employment and not getting a
suitable job.
Their concerns included the rising statistics of
rape cases, police brutality and extra-judicial
killings.9 Further, concerns were raised with
regard to avoidable tragedies or accidents. A
notable example being the Sinai Fire Tragedy
in which over 100 slum dwellers in Nairobi
perished due to an oil leak on the national oil
pipeline.
 The East African youth is very concerned
about health
A lot of young people in East Africa have cited
HIV/AIDS as a key concern. Health appears to
be a major issue among the youth. Apart from
the traditional health problems like malaria
and tuberculosis, the spread of HIV/AIDS and
drug abuse are perceived to be issues of major
concern. This and other diseases were named
explicitly by many respondents.5 Some found
values and moral problems as a reason, e.g.:
“Moral degradation has led to increasing rates
of the HIV/AIDS infections”6
The youth in Kampala, for instance, were also
cognizant of the increased presence of a
militarized society in Uganda particularly as a
result of the past civil unrest and conflicts
which have resulted in a society of former
militia.10
 The fears of East African youth are very
diverse and reflect different values in
their societies
Many interviewees and workshop participants
were also worried about drug abuses.7 “The
youth is so addicted to drugs and smoking. We
have to look after such kinds of obstacles to
make our dreams come true”8
The fears held by East African youth and the
problems they perceive are very diverse, and
therefore it is difficult to draw inclusive
conclusions. This can also be considered as a
problem, as one respondent was concerned
by the “huge difference between our points of
views.” The same respondent also observed
”selfishness and nowadays unhealthy love of
money”11 in his society.
Psychological health and pressures were also
cited as an increasing concern. Several young
people perceived anxiety and depression as
growing concerns.
 East African youths are concerned about
their physical security
Some fear that they and others are “not
understanding the poorness (sic) of the
country and not preparing themselves
accordingly” and thereby hold “Very
unrealistic
expectations.”12
Several
interviewees in Nairobi expressed their fear to
be unfocused, to live without a goal.13 Others
again had a more hedonistic view and
expressed their wish to live every day:
In the workshops and interviews that were
conducted in East Africa (Eldoret, Kampala
and Nairobi) the issue of physical security had
significant prominence. Most of the
participants in these workshops and
respondents to the questionnaires had
witnessed physical violence in the form of civil
unrest like the post-election violence of 2008
and other forms on inter-ethnic conflicts in
Kenya and attacks by criminal gangs such as
Mungiki (Kenya) or terrorist groups such as
the Al-Shabaab (both Kenya and Uganda).
“Live until tomorrow is the only to priority
to me. Think, we die any moment now,
and so it will make everything we have
become meaningless because there is
5
See answers to Q 13 of Interviews in Nairobi, 4{9,12,7,20}
6
Nairobi Workshop, Group 3 (3.3).
7
See answers to Q 13 of Interviews in Nairobi, 4{1,2,3,4,9,10,11,13,14,15,16,19,20}.
8
Female, Ethiopia, Interview 1-1, Q 25. See also
Workshop in Nairobi, Group 1.
9
Nairobi Workshop, Group 1.
Kampala Workshop.
11
Male, 27, Ethiopia, Interview 6-6, Q 13.
12
Male, 27, Ethiopia, Interview 6-6, Q 21.
13
Interviewer 4, Nairobi, several interviewees, Q
21.
10
10
 Youth in Western Europe are concerned
with a societal decline, both economically
and socially
nothing you can bring with you after you
die […]”14
Some fear mainly a “lack of freedom and
economic opportunities.”15 Others, by
contrast, seek for other values. One
interviewee expressed his frustration about
“[...] Western influence and how to adjust and
compete with them.”16 A few respondents
complained of being forced to adapt to
clothing standards. Another expressed his fear
about a confusion of values:
Living in a time of severe financial, economic
and political crises, young Europeans with a
background of higher education are very
concerned about the economic development
of their societies. This is reflected on the one
hand in the perceived difficulties finding a
(fulfilling) job in an increasingly strained
economy and in concerns about declining
social status and poverty (including old age
poverty). On the other hand it is palpable in
reflections about the general tendencies in
society: the rising unemployment, the rising
gap between rich and poor, and the decline of
the welfare state. These concerns even
amount to a certain fear of the future for
some of the respondents.
“My greatest concern in this modern
society is mixing up priorities and being
deceived by fictional standards. People
from developed countries party all the
time while the real life in my society is a
different story. Not recognizing one’s life
style, conditions and identity (…) is
dangerous step to take in life, ‘cause then
we are not our own selves.”17
Young people with a higher level of education
embed their personal fears in the general
societal developments they observe around
them: they question the ability of the state to
“take care” of them should they need help
(e.g. when being unemployed), and express
concerns about old age poverty and low
pensions due to the general decline in the
state's ability to maintain the current welfare
system, as well as a growing generation
conflict that will intensify with the ageing
society. This demographic shift will lead
towards an increasing percentage of older
people, who are expected to focus on serving
their interest politically. It can also be noted
that the intensity of certain fears depends on
the socio-economic status of the interviewees:
with a decreasing economic status, the
likelihood of being afraid of poverty increases.
Also, youth from the European periphery
(Spain, Greece) express more concerns in the
interviews about finding a job and are
increasingly pessimistic about the ability of
their respective countries to provide them and
their generation with opportunities, with
many considering leaving their countries
behind to find a job elsewhere.
Other young East Africans are concerned
about peace and conflict resolution:
“My concern as a youth is to build peace
and reconciliation among ourselves.
Forgiveness about the past is necessary for
peace to educate my people about the
importance of Peace.”18
On the whole, the problems identified by
youth in Eastern Africa were often centred on
employment, health, security and value
conflicts.
b. Main perception of problems in
Western Europe
The European interviewees as well, were
worried about economic issues, but they also
expressed frustration with high social pressure
to perform and problems to combine career
and partnership or family planning.
14
Female, 21, Ethiopia, Interview 6-4, Q 12.
Male, 27, Ethiopia, Interview 6-1, Q 13.
16
Female, 19, Ethiopia, Interview 1-1, Q 21.
17
Female, 23, Ethiopia, Interview 6-3, Q 13
18
Female, 20, South Sudan, Interview 1-6, Q 13.
15
11
The issue of employment also plays an
important role for lower class migrant youth.19
As they are coming from a group already
economically marginalized, their greatest fear
is becoming a “social failure” or “social case”
(Sozialfall), meaning becoming chronically
unemployed and isolated. However, due to
their low level of education, they are not able
to relate their personal problems to the
general societal circumstances that influence
both the situation they find themselves in and
their chances for the future, namely the rising
inequality and the economic difficulties
inherent in the crises. Young students in
Germany also expressed worries of not
earning enough to support themselves. They
said for instance:
„As the German society is getting older
and older, I expect that the interests of
pensioners and senior citizens will be
better represented. At the same time
women are pushed to get more children,
the loving mother will again be held in
higher public regard than the career
woman.“22
 Young people in Western Europe feel
under a lot of social pressure regarding
their career and their studies.
This assumption applies mainly to the higher
educated youth, pursuing or having pursued
their studies. The anxiety of a perfect
curriculum leads the youth to pursue their
studies "in time” and according to schedule.
There is always the fear that taking time for
decisions and to (re-)orientate oneself leads to
a "gap" in the CV and that the people are not
able to explain this properly to their future
employer. Still, one workshop-participant said:
“One should dare the gap in the CV!”23 Young
well-educated people seem to fear, that there
are always high expectations from the society
and this leads to their worry, that this fear
might hinder them to find their authentic
position in life and to know what they really
want do to. The participants were talking
about their fear that taking time while "not
doing anything useful" like studying, doing an
internship, working on a project etc. Breaks
are considered as a "waste of time" by their
surrounding: „One has to always have plans,
always have something to do”24. This pressure
to perform and to always do something
„I am very worried that I will either
practice the wrong profession, so that I
will not enjoy to work, or that I will not get
the chance to exercise my dream job
because I cannot find employment or
something like that. Furthermore, I am
afraid that I will not be supported
sufficiently by the state when I need
support.“20
“[My greatest worry is] to find a job where
I can earn sufficient amounts of money to
cover my cost of living and to save for old
age (as public pensions cannot be
expected anymore). Furthermore, as a
woman, to manage finding sufficient
support to reconcile children and a job.“21
19
We conducted 8 interviews in Berlin with youth
from lower social strata with a migration
background. To support these suggestions, more
interviews need to be added.
20
Female, 18, Germany, Berlin workshop,
translated by the authors: “Ich habe große Sorge
davor, dass ich später entweder den falschen Beruf
ausübe, also dass er mir keinen Spaß macht, oder
dass ich gar nicht die Chance kriege in meinem
Traumberuf zu arbeiten, weil ich keine Stelle kriege
oder ähnliches. Zudem habe ich Angst davor, dass
ich nicht genügend vom Staat unterstützt werde,
wenn ich Hilfe brauche.”
21
Female, 22, Germany, Interview Nr. 18-5 in
Wuppertal, Q 12: “Einen Job zu finden, bei dem ich
ausreichend verdiene um Lebenshaltungskosten zu
decken und für das Alter vorzusorgen (da man ja
keine Rente mehr erwarten kann). Zudem als Frau
es hinzubekommen, genug Unterstützung zu
erhalten um Kinder mit einem Job zu vereinbaren.“
22
Female, 21, Germany, Interview Nr. 18-8 in
Wuppertal: “Da die deutsche Gesellschaft immer
älter wird, werden sicherlich die Interessen der
Rentner und Senioren verstärkt vertreten werden.
Gleichzeitig wird versucht werden, die Frauen zum
Kinderkriegen zu bewegen, die liebende Mutter
wird in der öffentlichen Meinung wieder über der
Karrierefrau stehen“
23
Male, 24 years, Berlin, Germany, future
workshop. Original: “Mut zur Lücke im Lebenslauf!”
24
Female, 23 years, Berlin, Germany. Original:
„Man muss immer Pläne haben, immer etwas zu
tun haben.“
12
considered as being “useful” for the career
can lead to a certain disorientation – people
are studying something in which they are not
really interested in, just to have the “perfect”
CV as a basis for a "perfect" career. One
participant expressed his feeling of
helplessness in this way: “Everybody says: ‘Do
something with your life’ – but what?”25
“There is a high pressure to perform – this
makes it difficult to really develop oneself.“26
more
and
more
globalized
world,
contradicting the conditions regarded as
necessary for a stable relationship and family.
The contrast between these two very
important factors in life has been criticized by
the European youth mentioning this demand:
a certain level of mobility is required,
otherwise one will not be able to get a "good"
job, if not "the perfect" job. On the other
hand, for having a family, a certain level
stability is considered necessary, and this
contradiction of two priorities in life let fears
arise of “People losing contact to […] family
because of their jobs.”28 Still, one has to admit,
that this is a problem which applies mainly to
the youth coming from a rather elitist
background in the Western European society.
Family is even more important for the less
privileged youth as well, but on a different
level: For them, family and having a job were
two things separated from each other. This
may be due to jobs which do not demand
constant mobility. However, especially for
male youth a job plays a crucial role for
becoming a fully accepted member of society
which is strongly linked to financial
independence. Less privileged youth were not
so much concerned with having an own family
(yet), but gaining the respect of and
maintaining their supportive family.
Some of the participants of the future
workshop in Berlin expressed that their
greatest fear was not to do what one wants to
do in life, but what the society and one’s
family would like to see: “Not making my own
happiness […] but rather the need to achieve
something ‘to be proud of’”27. Here again, a
difference has to be made between the points
of view of the higher educated youth and the
lower-educated youth interviewed. Instead of
having the feeling of being pressured by the
society, less privileged youth tends to perceive
it differently. While it describes being under
social pressure – e.g. by school or the job
market – this pressure is predominantly linked
to issues of approval. This means that the
pressure to perform finds its expression in the
pride of family members or the attractiveness
for prospect partners. This leads to the
question: Who is the society? Isn’t it us, and
why are we conforming to the system when
we want to change it?
This concern refers also to the problem of
pressure from the society: there are so many
expectations from different angles: “There is a
high pressure of having to prove something.” 29
This fear not only refers to the problem of
finishing ones studies in time or finding the
right job, but also to keep ones relationship
stable and balancing both. Interestingly, the
participants are yearning for both, an intact
family and a well-paid fulfilling job – but they
also seem to be convinced that having both at
the same time is not manageable: For them a
utopian and thereby contrasting idea from the
current society is one “where there is more
flexibility to actually be able to have both [a
job and a family]”30. The participants from the
 The academic Western youth sees a
conflict between a stable relationship
and career mobility
Young academics in Western Europe are
concerned that they cannot balance career
mobility (or professional career at all) with a
stable relationship. For some of them, this
incompatibility is the biggest fear in life. This
very personal concern refers to the problem
of required mobility in their jobs due to a
25
Male, 22, Berlin, Germany: “Alle sagen: ‘Mach
etwas aus deinem Leben.’ Aber was?”
26
Female, 21, Germany, Interview 18-11, Q 14.
Original: „Starker Leistungsdruck der Gesellschaft –
dies führt zu Problemen der Selbstverwirklichung“
27
Female, 20, from Leeds, United Kingdom,
Interview in Oxford, Nr. 15-6, Q 14.
28
Female, 26, from Germany, Interview in London,
UK, Interview 21-2, Q 13.
29
Female, 23, Oxford, United Kingdom, Interview
15-3.
30
Female, 27, Ljubljana, Slovenia
13
workshop in Berlin said: "With the constant
demanded mobility it is very difficult to find
stability in life"31 or "I do not even have time to
get to know someone, because I am working
all day long.”32 The pressure the youth
perceived became clear.
support), family and friends (personal
acceptance and social support). However
changing economic and social environments
appear to have led to more individualization
and independence of young people. This also
brings with it a number of anxieties,
insecurities and liabilities, augmented by the
fear of failure and the pressure to achieve
personal goals in life.
c. Comparison and conclusion
The following section summarizes the insights
of the previous two and compares the results.
However different the social structures of
Western European and East African societies,
the repercussions on individuals and their
individual responses to them may be, in both
regions an abstract idea of collective
happiness can be grasped. This idea often
finds its outcome in the suggestion of a caring
welfare state. However, in practice, the
interviewees both from Africa and Europe
seek support structures less on a societal level
(economic support), but more within the
structure of family and friends (personal
acceptance and social support). Yet, besides
this similarity of an abstract idea that is hardly
met by real life practice, capitalist
transformation of economic and social
environments appears to have led to more
individualization and independence of young
people. Indeed, it is not only a stereotype, but
rather a tendency that Western European
youth has its focus on a “core family”, whilst
family structures are often still broader for
East African youth. Yet, apart from improved
economic well-being, capitalist transformation
and globalization bring along a number of
anxieties,
insecurities
and
liabilities,
augmented by the fear of failure and the
pressure to achieve personal goals in life.
 Despite
differing
socio-economic
conditions of their societies, several
problems were of similar importance to
the interviewed youth
As expected, comparing the problems that are
identified by East African and West European
youth leads us to differences and similarities
alike. On the one hand, a majority of
interviewees identified unemployment as one
of the more serious socio-economic problems
currently confronting many people in Africa
and Europe. For instance, with regards to
some of the interviews conducted in Berlin, a
socially disadvantaged group of respondents
aged 25-26 addressed poverty and
unemployment to such an extent that their
greatest fear was to become a so-called
“Sozialfall” – a person they perceive as socially
isolated and unemployed. On the other hand,
due to the lack of a sophisticated health care
system, a lot of young people in East Africa
have cited HIV/AIDS as a key concern. Even
though health appears to be a major issue for
both youth groups, the East African one is still
concerned with illnesses like malaria and
tuberculosis. Psychological health and
pressures were also cited as an increasing
concern amongst the youth in both East
African and Germany.
The results of our interviews and workshops
point indeed to the fact that youth in Africa
and Europe have different ideas and problems
when it comes to family planning. African
respondents generally had little doubts about
their intentions and abilities to start their own
family at an early stage of life. Fears about
choosing the right partner, about providing
good health and quality of life, or about
respecting traditional and parental values do
not contradict a general family-oriented and
reproduction-friendly attitude of our African
respondents.
The interviewees from both Africa and Europe
seek support structures – those that can be
offered at various levels by society (economic
31
Female, 24, Berlin, Germany. Original: „Bei der
ständigen Mobilität ist es schwierig, Konstanz im
Leben zu finden.“
32
Male, 24, Berlin, Germany. Original: “Ich habe
gar nicht die Zeit jemanden kennenzulernen, da ich
so viel am Arbeiten bin.“
14
European respondents, on the other hand,
expressed more reservations. Commitments in
the form of long-term relationships and raising
children are regarded with hesitations. They
are perceived to limit chances and freedoms
in other social areas – especially in regards to
their professional career. “Job or family”
seems to be a conflicting choice in many of
our respondents’ ideas about their personal
future: Many respondents were hoping and
asking for a good balance, while individual
investments and advances in one field were
perceived to be potentially detrimental for the
other. European respondents moreover
voiced their uncertainty about the right timing
for their family plans.
situations in both of the regions is possible. It
might even become clear how this fear shows
up in daily life and how it influences decisions
and life in general.
 Concerns of African youth are more
societal and more determined by the
direct
societal
environment
in
comparison with rather individualistic
concerns of the German youth (taking
into account a possible relation to the
educational background)
Apart from this similarity in Eastern African
and Western European society, there are
many
contradictory
tendencies.
In
comparison, concerns of the European youth
seem to be more individualistic – with several
different degrees among Europeans. Hence,
South European youth’s concerns were less
individualistic and more concerned with the
overall (economic) performance of their
societies.
Alongside discussion about family, marriage
and children, the fear of financial instability
and poverty became clear. Though being a
concern of most of the interviewees, by trend,
balancing career and relationship was
mentioned as a personal problem explicitly.
Likewise, family and career play an important
role and are often named as top priorities in
live separately. Hence, both East African as
well as West European youths are similarly
concerned with successfully combining these
two individual priorities. On the first glance,
some findings of the future workshop in Berlin
seem contradictory to this thesis, as some
participants prioritized career-orientation over
partnerships. However, having taken a closer
look at the responses, the underlying
structure was driven by the contradiction of
balancing self-realization and relationships.
Though, the tendency of identifying this
phenomenon as a personal instead of societal
problem is striking, as it has so much to do
with the pressure from the job market and
larger economic and social developments.
After stating that “the present situation is
quite disconcerting if not disastrous so I think
it can only get better, at least that’s what I
hope”, a young student from Naples (20 years
old), indicated that:
“The responsibility lies generally within the
ruling people but I think that even we as a
people have our share of responsibility
which we have to really work on to get us
heard and to propose solutions which
guarantee a future to everybody.”33
 The individualistic values could be linked
with the economic development of the
society
A possible assumption may suggest a
correlation between the level of capitalist
development and globalization and the level
of individualization of societies. Though this
may not sound new in general, trans-national
research may help make sense of alternative
ways of identification that appear in
correlation with economic well-being and high
education: why do academics (such as those
interviewed here) tend to be more concerned
It could firstly be interesting to find out if
family and career are both separately
important areas in life and if there is a priority
on one of them. This could lead to the
question if the Youth are scared to not be able
to achieve a healthy balance between their
careers and their family lives. Inquiries
concerning examples for the contradiction can
bring colour to the abstract assumptions and
maybe a direct comparison of two comparable
33
15
Male, 20, Naples, Interview 9b-2, Q 15 and 16.
with global climate change and world poverty
than with societal problems that can be found
outside their doorstep?
3. Which future do
people wish for?
This assumption has multiple layers that
demand a distinguished analysis. First,
research could be done with regard to the
thesis that perceived problems and concerns,
with their scope and quality, are more
determined
by
socio-economic
class
background than along the fault lines of Africa
versus Europe or the North – South
dichotomy. Secondly, could it be that the
concerns of African youth are more
determined by the direct societal environment
compared to the concerns of German youth?
Finally, within postmodern environment, it is
not exactly clear what role does education
plays for the first two layers. The interviews
among German and English students suggest
that the quality of education and the kind of
education interplay with the perception of
problems. Seemingly, based on the premise
that there is no need for individual concerns
of material well-being, the more the
education includes humanistic (ethical and
philosophical) aspects, the more people think
beyond their individual problems and start to
feel empathy with those facing higher
existential threats. Yet, being influenced by
individualistic
instead
of
humanistic
education, people tend to lack sense of social
cohesion and feel only responsible for
realizing their own goals in life. Interestingly,
people with less privileged background such
as the migrant youth tend to be as much
individualistic as those being better off. Thus,
it seems not too bold to state that “empathic
academics” play a crucial role in social
cohesion – for example, by getting engaged in
civic society organizations.
With all of the identified
issues and
challenges as regards the East African and
Western European youth in mind, one might
lose hope for an improved situation: “How
can my life or the circumstances under which
we are living in, actually change,
acknowledging that the problems we're facing
are as complex as they are disconcerting?”,
one might ask himself.
young
Interestingly and even more encouraging,
there is a lot of hope among the youth. A vast
majority of the interviewees and workshop
participants, foresaw a definite improvement
of their life and that of the society. A student
from Portici, near Naples in Italy, for instance,
was of the opinion that Italy's governing
malpractice would decrease and eventually
turn for the better “so that you can live in a
better world without ‘tyrants’.34 Same
tendencies of hope can be pointed out in
interviews from Nairobi35, Wuppertal36 and
Zanzibar37.
At this point, it can be noted that besides the
current general context in which respondents
are living in as a determining factor of their
answers, there are also diverse value-systems
which affect the matter of the vision:
Individualistic,
Communitarian,
Modern,
Traditional, Family-Oriented etc. Depending
on one's a aforementioned priority with
regard to own values, the respective utopias
become the child of their underlying valuesystem. Not that this set of values would only
bring along a certain “tendency” of utopia,
obviously it would as well push aside matters
of possible utopias which one personally does
not regard as important for his or society's
future. An adept of an individualistic valuesystem, for example, would imagine the
future from the perspective of his valuesystem. In case of a hopeful prognosis, he
would see his values realized in a system built
All in all, the problems identified mainly dealt
with the fear of economic decline or
immediate economic and partnership or
family issues. Value conflicts were mentioned,
as well, but the main concerns of youth in
both parts of the world are currently turning
around economic challenges.
34
Female, 20, Naples, Interview 9-5 Q 15
Male, 20, Nairobi, Interview 4-19 Q 15
36
Female, 21, Interviews Wuppertal, 15-6, Q 15.
37
Male, Interviews Zanzibar 9-3, Q 15.
35
16
on individualistic principles, enabling every
member to fulfil his personal career plan and
wishes for freedom. This rule could, however,
be stated vice versa as well: An expressed
utopia enables researchers to draw
conclusions as regards the different valuesystems of the people interviewed. Hence
evidence could suggest that some participants
of the workshop from Berlin (see above) can
be marked as followers of a rather
individualistic value-system.
for “Less brain drain where people will love
working in their countries and stop going
abroad to look for better paying jobs.”38
In general, the East African youth have a
predominantly positive outlook of their future.
Even though fears of diseases, unemployment
and poverty prevail, they see their nations
develop into democratic, economically
prosperous states where citizens enjoy the
freedom of a free and democratic society. The
East Africans are also hopeful that negative
conditions will change and that their countries
will significantly develop. In the dreams of
some, a good future means “happiness in the
society,
It is imperative to distinguish between value
systems laying focus on self-enhancement
(main concern: own development and career)
or on self-transcendence (main concern: social
or environmental issues. These can be
combined with different attitudes towards
change (rather open or conservative), as
summarized in annex III (Matti 2009). The
hopes and fears can match with a certain
value system as represented in the graph.
reduced challenges, creative and productive
society, level of insecurity will reduce, the
youth will be self-driven and responsible”39
One student in Kenya (24 years) shared this
positive outlook:
This chapter show cases hopes as expressed
specifically in Eastern Africa and Western
Europe while trying to compare them across
the areas .
“I think my society will change in the
coming few years in such a way that we
get to elevate economically, socially and
politically and gain recognition from other
parts of the world good enough to obtain
advantages such as trading, globalization,
trusted relationships etc... I believe we are
doing well already regarding development
and growth, if it continues with the same
pace as now there is no reason we won't
become a developed country within 10
years.”40
a. Main hopes of young people
regarding the future in Eastern
Africa
East African youth had many ideas on how a
better future could look like. Their positive
utopias centred – among others – around a
better and peaceful society and the
combination of career and family.
 On the personal level the East African
youth focus on their career and family.
 The fantasies of the young people in East
Africa in general were often more
focused on social issues concerning the
state than individualistic issues.
On a personal level, the dreams and hopes of
the East African youth focuses more on career
(getting a job, making more money, advancing
ones career) and of family (finding a loving
partner, getting married, having a family) as
seen from their fantasies. The East African
youth imagined a world where there were
increased employment opportunities and
For instance, the young people expressed the
wish to live in a country where there would be
no poverty, with food security, good
infrastructure, and where employment
opportunities were available. The East African
participants also wished for a state with good
governance structures, without corruption, a
state which shows a perception that goes
beyond personal fantasies. They also wished
38
Kenyan workshop participants, future workshop
Nairobi, group 3 (4.3.)
39
Female, 21, Nairobi, Interview 4-8, Q 23.
40
Female, 23, Addis Ababa, 6-3, Q 18.
17
where everyone would get a job. An
interviewee in Nairobi summarized his hopes
with “Get employed, Good Health, Good
governance, Good roads.”41 Others, too,
mentioned employment as one of their main
hopes, which stems very likely from the fear of
unemployment, which is high in East African
countries. With regards to family, they
visualized finding a suitable marriage partner
and bringing up children as is expected in East
African countries where strong family values
exist. For some, marriage and family planning
is very important: “My top priority in life is to
get married after my studies.”42 Another
example: “succeed in my post graduate
degree, get married and start a family, own a
family home.”43 Some workshop participants
wished marriages to last over 50 years.44
identification of God and through this
process the social injustice will decline.”46
 Young East Africans have many wishes
for the political, economic and social
development of their nation states.
The social and economic development
(infrastructural development, food security,
enhanced
employment
and
poverty
eradication) of their countries is the most
mentioned hope that the youth in East Africa
expressed. On the political level, the East
African youth dreamt of a democratic society,
increased awareness of rights, with reduced
corruption which would eventually lead to
economic and social development. A majority
of the youth is conscious about their role in
realizing these dreams. They are seeking for
increased citizen participation in governance
and want to contribute to a free and equal
society without poverty. From the fantasies of
these youth, they felt that their individual
development would eventually lead to societal
development. Some discussed the idea of a
women empowered society which they felt
would eventually lead to an empowered
society:
These dreams do not particularly differ from
the hopes of other young people in the world
who also visualized the same at a personal
level. One difference however between the
East African and European youth might be
that of religion and the belief in God which
plays a big part in many of the young East
Africans' life where they see the trust in God
as a prerequisite to their destiny. Several
respondents explicitly named Christian values:
“A Women empowered society: an
empowered woman leads to an
empowered family and its ripple effect is
felt in the society as a whole.”47
“Having identity in Jesus Christ will make
you to know the difference between living
and existing. Also educating the youth will
help them to practice and realize their
skills and potentials.”45
Most of the East African youth’s hopes and
dreams fall into the categories of stronger
social cohesion (no ethnic tensions/open
dialogue/love and respect for each
other/peace) and better chances for
education (especially for the youth and girls).
These visions for their countries were
expressed in a very specific way though
opinions were also quite varied. They
expressed the need of:
This does not apply for most of the European
youth interviewed. An exception was the
interviews conducted in Speyer (Germany),
where one person expressed as his greatest
hope:
“that many more people recognize God's
greatness and the freedom that he gives,
and that I can play a role in their
“Education, extermination of illiteracy
both male and female. A literate society
will be open to let everyone try their
41
Male, 21, Nairobi, Interviewee 4-3, Q 17.
Female, 20, South Sudan, Interviews in Addis
Ababa, Interview 1-6, Q 12.
43
Male, 25, Kenya, Interview 4-7, Q 17.
44
Nairobi Workshop, Group 1.
45
Male, 23, South Sudanese interviewee in Addis
Ababa, Interview 1-3.
42
46
Male, 22, Speyer , Interview 17-09.
Nairobi future workshop participant, Group 1
(4.1.).
47
18
abilities
and
credentials
segregation or impunity.”48
without
The East African youth hoped that their future
would
be
one
without
poverty,
unemployment and tribalism among others. In
analysing the fantasies from the East Africa
and the European youth, it is evident that the
youth fantasize about a future that benefits
not only them as individuals but also the
society as a whole. For instance one Ethiopian
student named as his four greatest hopes:
In the Kampala workshop, the participants
hoped for “A society where all Ugandans were
given fair and equal treatment and access to
resources and opportunities.”49 The workshop
participants in Nairobi hoped to make an “End
to negative ethnicity and tribalism”, “peaceful
co-existence among people of different ethnic
communities”50 and thereby realize a better
society.
“1. Economic growth, 2. a more tolerant
and open society, 3. a democratic nation,
and 4. regional integration and possible
unification with our neighbours.”53
 The hopes of young East Africans on a
global scale have an especially regional
relevance: a peaceful and secure Horn of
Africa.
The youth who participated in the workshops
and interviews came from different
educational backgrounds; some had university
education while others were still in school.
However, the educational background did not
affect their fantasies much considering the
East African participants had similar fantasies
that focused
on societal development
independent of their level of education. It can
therefore be deduced that the fantasies of the
youth is heavily influenced by the situation of
the societies they are living in.
It was quite remarkable that most of the
youth in East Africa focused their hopes on
personal and social or national level and not
that much on the global level. It however has
to be underlined that of the East African
participants, only the Kenyan participants
were more open to global issues. They
expressed dreams about a world in peace and
without diseases and racism and that there
will be equal development between countries
and especially the African region, hoping for:
“Equal development status in different
continents”, “A world with no effects from
climate change”, “A disease free world.”51
They also said: “We dream of a balanced
ecosystem where everyone will be conscious of
protecting, maintaining and avoiding harmful
elements that affect the environment.”52
b. Main hopes of young people
regarding the future in Western
Europe
Despite differing circumstances, young people
in Western Europe are not only facing a
number of common problems and challenges
within their respective societies, they do also
share a common set of hopes and fantasies for
the future.
 All the fantasies cut across on personal
and societal level, but the ability to
formulate fantasies and ideas for the
future and their content depends on the
educational background and the social
environment.
 Young people in Western Europe hope
for job security.
Our findings show that the first and foremost
dream of youth in Western Europe is an
individualistic one: The most frequent answer
to our questions about the hopes and dreams
of the European youth is that they hope to
have a secure, interesting and well-paid job.
M., for example, is a smart, confident young
woman. She has one degree from Britain and
48
Male, 22, South Sudanese interviewee in Addis
Ababa, Interview 1-1.
49
Ugandan workshop participants, future
workshop Kampala.
50
Kenyan workshop participants, future workshop
Nairobi, group 3.
51
Kenyan workshop participants, future workshop
Nairobi, group 1.
52
Kenyan workshop participants, future workshop
Nairobi, group 1.
53
19
Male, 27, Addis Ababa, Interview 6-1, Q 17.
is about to conclude another in her native
Spain. “I hope to find a well-paid (i.e. “paying
all my bills”) job”54, she says and feels that she
is facing an insecure future.
following statements of C. and K. “a world
without youth discrimination in which young
persons are valued”56 [and] “where diversity
would be encouraged and divergence in
thought would be valued”.57 For example D.
“wants to live in a more open, tolerant and
inclusive society.”58 This theme is not only
present in the dreams of students of the
humanities or social sciences, but also among
students of the sciences, such as G.’s, 26 years
old and studying microbiology in the UK. He
hopes, “that globalization and the movement
of people will help to shape an open minded
society
where
foreigners
won’t
be
discriminated or secluded.” Others said that in
a better society…
M. belongs to a generation of young Western
Europeans who feel that the implicit contract
they had with their society - work hard, and
you can have a good life - has been broken.
And she is not alone. Several others expressed
similar sentiments. S. from the UK, 24 years
old says that his main hope is to find a good
and interesting job. Not entirely a different
answer N. from Germany gave: “I dream
about finding an interesting and well-paid
job.”55
Young people are particularly vulnerable to
fluctuation in economic trends and in tough
times they are often the first to lose out. One
in five under 25 years in the European Union
labour force is unemployed (Eurostat 2011).
Given the fact that the number of young
people in Western Europe who are looking for
work is at a record high it does not come as a
surprise that for many of them the route from
formal education to the labour market is far
from straightforward. Instead it now tends to
be “delayed, protracted, complicated and – in
some cases - fractured. Some young people,
meanwhile, yo-yo between temporary jobs
and periods of unemployment” (Council of
Europe 2010: 2). Against this background,
young Western Europeans, like M., find
themselves hoping for the job that would
make their future secure.
“…Youths wouldn’t have to respond to the
pressure of society/family and be happy to
life as simple or as high-strung as they like.
There would be less competition, and less
focus on what one has achieved and is
planning to achieve and whether one can
be successful. Youths would generally feel
a lot more relaxed knowing that they can
do what they’d like without having to
conform to someone else’s vision of a
‘good future’.”59
Some distinguished more between personal
and social priorities. For instance S., a 24 year
old natural scientist from Italy, working in UK,
said:
“I have two scales for my priorities in life:
on an individual level, I try to live a happy
life doing the things I like and sharing the
simple man’s values: the jobs we care for,
the families we love, the health and wellbeing we long for to grow old and retire
quietly; on a more philosophical and social
level, I try to understand and do my part
against the underlying cause of global
threats such as poverty and environmental
degradation. I am also quite a cynic
 Young people from Western Europe long
for an inclusive society
From the Survey it can be said that the WestEuropean youth do not merely indulge in selfcentred materialism but also try to realize a
very individualistic value set. We have found
that a great percentage of answers related to
hopes and dreams express a desire to live and
work for a more open and inclusive society.
Thus, when asked to describe their utopian
world, many of them would agree with the
54
55
56
Female, 28, Oxford, Interview 15-8, Q 22.
Male, 24, Oxford, Interview 15-7, Q 22.
58
Male, 19, UK, Interview 15-15, Q 17.
59
Female, 20, Leeds, United Kingdom, Interview
15-5, Q 22.
57
Female, 23, from Germany, Interview 15-2, Q 17.
Female, 23, Oxford, Interview 15-2, Q 12.
20
person, though, in that the right to
existence of Nature ranks higher than
human beings in my value scale.”60
Therefore it is probable to note that the
fantasies were primarily premised on the
background of each interviewee.
 Young people in Western Europe dream
of reducing global poverty
On one hand, the East African youth dreamt of
a world with no poverty, increased employment opportunities in their countries to
reduce brain drain and obtain improved and
developed infrastructure. The European youth
on the other hand, had more individualized
fantasies and did not have fantasies based on
infrastructural development for instance. This
could be attributed to the societal background
of the European youth whose countries
infrastructure is developed and where they
have enhanced employment opportunities.
The European youth therefore sought for
other non-tangible futures such as increased
freedom, a world with no wars among others.
The societal background of the participants
therefore affects the youth’s vision of the
future.
Given the current economic turmoil it came as
a surprise that our third finding relates to an
idealist dream or hope: the West-European
youth hopes that it will be possible to reduce
global poverty and distribute wealth more
evenly.
E. is 28 years old and currently doing a PhD in
law in the UK and he noted for example,
dreams about “greater material equality and
opportunities in the world”. J., who is 22 years
old and studying political science and
philosophy in Oxford hopes that it will be
possible to “reduce poverty in the Third
world.” Similarly, N. from Germany 23-year
old politics student writes that her biggest
hope is to find a “solution to the widening
social inequality”.61
 Whereas many of the fantasies identified
among the youth from Europe was of a
global nature, the Africans fantasied
more of issues related to the national
and regional levels.
Generally, young people from Western Europe
have a greater awareness than ever before of
the world outside of their own. Each day they
see the devastating effects of poverty, which
can be traced back to a lack of access to
economic, cultural and ecological resources.
Nevertheless, it was mostly PhD students in
political and social sciences in London who
expressed these far reaching dreams and
utopias.
It is therefore probable to assume that the
African outlook is concentrated on the
extreme problems which seem to be mostly
limited to their countries and regional levels
unlike the Europeans who feel that their lives
are more directly affected by whatever occurs
on in the global perspective.
c. Comparison and conclusion
A comparison of the East African and Western
European youth fantasies shows that there
were similarities on some general issues, but
quite different in several priorities.
 Both the African and European youth
interviewed share common plight and
fantasies
of
more
employment
opportunities.
 Many of the fantasies of the youth
interviewed or those in the workshops
drew heavily from the societal
backgrounds from which they originated.
60
61
It is probable therefore that unemployment is
a common factor in both Africa and Europe
which affects the youth, though in some areas
higher and more threatening than in others.
Male, 24, Oxford, UK, Interview 15-13, Q 12.
Female, 23, Oxford, UK, Interview 15-2, Q 17.
21
 Young Africans have dreams of social,
spiritual cohesion and correctness and
consider development of the community
and society before self.
democratization, the interviewees dreamed of
a so called “inclusive” society71, i.e. a legal
system which includes its people in the
decision-making process.
Though not all, many of the results for Eastern
African youth show a tendency towards
spirituality and/or community orientation.
Also, a few European interviewees held some
comparable opinions and dreams. But they
were clearly the minority. Here therefore
could lie one of the major differences.
4. How can the youth realize
their dreams and improve
the future?
The young people in Western Europe and East
Africa not only identified their fears about the
future and fantasies of how their ideal world
should be. They went ahead and offered what
they see as possible solutions on how the
future can be improved thereby offering a
world where every young person can flourish.
To get their responses the young people were
asked to translate their fantasies back into
reality and offer possible solutions and
concrete recommendations on what can be
done and how it should be done to effect
change. Young people offered a myriad of
possible solutions. However, it should be
noted that there was a distinct difference in
possible solutions given by Western European
and East African youth. Also, the people seen
as responsible for improving the future ranged
from personal or individual, community, state
and even the international community but
their level of engagement to institute change
also differed between the two groups.
However it should be noted that young people
want changes and/or improvements in policy
formulation in areas of education, social
welfare, employment and immigration among
others.
 Western European Youth were very
concerned about individual advancement
or the betterment of the world as a
whole.
The object of the young respondents'
fantasies, however, differs greatly. The
spectrum comprehends visions of a more
supporting, flexible environment which would
ease the fulfilment of one's individual goals
(Berlin)62 on a personal level , long-lasting
marriages (Nairobi)63, improvement of
infrastructure (Eldoret64, Nairobi65) on a
societal level to the eradication of HIV
(Uganda66) and the victory against poverty
(Addis Ababa67) on a global level. Many
participants dreamt about a state without
corruption,68 ruled by law,69 and respecting
human rights70, also referring to the global
level.
Besides
general
wishes
of
62
Future Workshop conducted in Berlin,
19.11.2011 Summary page 4 (II).
63
Future Workshop conducted in Nairobi, 3.
12.2011 Report page 6 (4.1.).
64
Future Workshop conducted in Eldoret,
3.12.2011, Report page 7 group 2.
65
Future Workshop conducted in Nairobi, 3.
12.2011 Report page 7.
66
Report Workshop Uganda page 4 (No 3 f).
67
Interviews Addis Ababa, 1-2,4,5 Q 23.
68
Future Workshop conducted in Nairobi, 3.
12.2011, page 6 group 1, Interviews Addis Ababa,
Interviews Nairobi, Interview 4-19 Q 23.
69
Interview, Zanzibar, 9b-1 Q 3.
70
Report Workshop Uganda page 4 (3j).
This chapter therefore elaborates main steps
considered by young people in Western
Europe and East Africa while giving a
comparison in terms of similarities and
differences between the two groups. The
chapter concludes by offering questions
arising and generating assumptions for further
research work in the field.
71
Female, 21, Wuppertal, Interview 18-11 Q 23,
see as well Interview Zanzibar 9b-1 Q 23.
22
the government to intervene in all sectors of
the nation. This attests to the fact that the
role of government’s participation or
involvement in development endeavours is
paramount. Such perceptions cut across
many of the respondents as they primarily
perceive the state as being incapacitated to
provide for the individual and societal overall
development. The states in Eastern Africa are
also presumed to have fundamental policy
and practical obstacles that hinder young
people of the region from achieving their goal.
Thus, albeit they state that they are the ones
who are responsible to change their lives and
their future they accord paramount
importance to the role of the state in reducing
these obstacles.
a. Main steps considered by young
people in Eastern Africa
The East Africans were rather optimistic about
positive change in their societies and
proposed concrete steps for improvement.
 Most of the East African youth believe
that change in society is possible.
This perception cut across all the four East
African countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, South
Sudan and Uganda – that participated in this
study. Their belief in the possibility of change,
change for the betterment of themselves,
their society and the region transpires in the
actions they propose to be undertaken.
Furthermore, substantial numbers of the
interviewees asserted that it is solely up to
them to bring change in their respective
societies in particular and in their countries in
general. “Everything will not happen by its
own. We have to work for it.”72 To play a part
in social change is not necessarily seen as
contradictory to personal achievement.
Nevertheless, many young East Africans see
themselves as most responsible for any
improvement. Some explicitly name the state,
others name themselves, and a third group
holds God most responsible.
 East African Youth ask for more
infrastructure for their generation to
realize their potential
“My top priority is to be an important,
very important person in my job (of course
by being the best), to compete
internationally, to have enough money,
and finally to do my share in this world for
the better environment and the society.”73
In relation to the aforementioned point, the
East African youths aspires for a holistic and
integrated developmental approach which
includes the state and themselves. In South
Sudan, the youth aspire for and demand youth
facilities, such as sports centres, training
centres etc. to be established. These centres,
they believed, would specifically enable them
to realize their potential. This however,
requires some solid involvement of the
government and other development partners.
Thus as often is the case in Africa, the youth
who lack access to resources and who come
from a predominantly poor background
perceive the state/government as the major
agent of change in their society.
An
interviewee from Ethiopia stated that “the
state is responsible for devising a political
system which will afford the youth better
chances of education, employment and in
general better standard of living.” There was a
great variety, nevertheless, as another
Ethiopian student said: “I believe an anarchic
However, they claim that their contributions
cannot change everything and thus they call
upon their respective governments and
stakeholders to support them in their
endeavours. As such financial and technical
supports such as career guidance and
mentorship programmes are believed to
empower them, to make right choices for
their future and to further solidify their
commitment for being agents of change.
 East African youth call on their
governments for improving their future
In some of the interviews and in the
workshops held in Nairobi and Eldoret in
Kenya, the youth anticipated the urgency of
72
73
Male, 23, South Sudanese, Interview 1-3, Q 25.
Male, 27, Ethiopia, Interview 6-6, Q 12.
23
society is the best social system for youth. The
state should be smashed”74
human well-being before we can talk
about long-lasting change.”76
b. Main steps considered by young
people in Western Europe
 The higher the level of education, the
more the European youth believe in their
personal contribution to societal change.
The outlook of Western Europeans, as well,
turned out to be rather positive. Their
willingness to contribute to this change was
very different and stemmed from their way of
analysing problems.
In workshops and interviews conducted with
students in Berlin, London and Oxford, the
participants demonstrated their profound
concern with societal and structural rather
than personal problems. This however only
applied to individuals with a higher
educational background, which underlines the
assumption that the analysis of problems and
possible actions to remedy them, strongly
varies with the level of the educational
background. For instance, one PhD-candidate
in London stated:
 The Western European youth believe that
a change in society is generally possible
and therefore want to be empowered to
make the right choices for their own
future and the future of their societies.
There is however a disconnect between this
basic presumption and effective action: the
highly educated Western European youth
have the perception of having identified the
roots for both, societal problems and possible
solutions – but they often lack the ability
and/or initiative for implementation. One 19year old student in Oxford therefore
proposed:
“We are all responsible ourselves: to make
decisions for ourselves, help family and
friends and to create the society we want
to live in; we cannot blame politicians or
the government for what is going wrong,
as we are the ones who actually chose
them. We are only as good as our
politicians"77
“Listen to the problems, frustrations and
proposed solutions of the youth.
Compared to many of the adults, young
people complain but also come up with
solutions to their problems. Give the youth
some credit and let them feel responsible
and have ownership on their initiatives
and projects”75
Or a Swiss postgraduate student said: “Every
single person is responsible and capable of
contributing to change in their own ways”78
 There is a linkage between the level of
education and the perception of whether
the problems are mainly structural/
societal or personal/individual.
But S., an Italian postgraduate student in
Oxford observes the problem of social inertia:
The interviews with migrant youth of low
educational background conducted in Berlin
shows that they see themselves responsible
for their own future and have no or few
demands – or hopes – for state action. The
answers by the interviewees showed that
“success” is mainly connected to a perception
of being a “weak” or “strong” person rather
than being offered opportunities or not.
“Unfortunately, people seem to be ready
for change only when faced with
enormous crises. Societies evolve like that.
I think we need new paradigms for how
we understand the economics and define
76
Male, 24, Interview 15-13, Oxford.
Male, 25, (postgraduate from Germany), London,
Interview 21-4, Q 16.
78
Male, 24, (postgraduate from Switzerland),
London, Interview 21-6, Q 16.
74
77
Male, 24, postgraduate from Ethiopia, Addis
Ababa, Interview 13-6, Q 23.
75
Male, 19, Oxford (from Romania), Interview 1512, Q 24.
24
Hence, the expectations towards the state are
rather low. The youth that see life as a big
struggle “cannot expect much from the state”,
as they replied. This underlines the
assumption that the lower the level of
education, the lower the expectancy that the
state will be able to improve one’s situation.
suggested to enable young people make
better-informed decisions. Hopes are that a
higher level of information and education will
lead to increased participation, the feeling of
ownership regarding the possibility of bringing
about change and ultimately better outcomes.
c. Comparison and conclusion
 Education was considered a key for
change but also an object of necessary
reforms.
Similarities though few and far between on
how the youth in these regions perceive their
future and how they would implement their
‘utopian’ ideas of an ideal world are as
follows:
Higher educated youth had a focus on
education as a means for – or a field of –
improvement. In the Berlin workshop,
students proposed to adapt school curricula to
challenges the generation is facing, by adding
financial and economics classes and lectures
on social welfare systems. They would like to
see the numerus clausus (i.e. a system to
select university students primarily according
to their high school grades) abolished. Instead,
personal interviews and exams should put in
focus the selection process on the motivation
of the individual student to study a particular
field. By introducing obligatory school
internships students could get an idea of work
life already at school and would not feel that
the decision they make after high school
graduation will define their life path (and
hence put very high pressure on them) but
simply give a direction. This career advice at
an early stage will also reduce the risk of
having a misperception of a particular career.
Additionally, consulting services at school
could help students get a clearer picture of
existing types of jobs and help them find out
about their strengths and weaknesses. The
career consulting should however be focused
on the skills of the individual and not be linked
to current job shortages or economic needs
irrespective of personal preferences. The
Western European youth also demanded the
state to introduce media education at school,
to help children and young adults use the
internet with confidence and caution where
needed.
 The youth in both regions generally
believe that a change in their societies is
possible but the only difficulty is how to
foster lasting positive change.
An Ideal future as expressed by most youth
include but is not limited to the following:
availability
of
good
employment
opportunities, a peaceful coexistence with
others regardless of race, social status, ethnic
groups or religious beliefs, affordable living
standards based on steady economic growth,
financial security and the ability to reach one’s
self-actualization.
 The youth also share a common
aspiration when it comes to demanding
that their governments provide better
and widely affordable education
The aspirations mentioned included education
promoting critical skills in leadership, offering
mentorship
training
and
providing
intergenerational dialogue platforms so as to
give them a better edge in competing with
their peers internationally. This will in turn
foster increased participation and ownership
of ideas that will bring about positive change
in their societies.
Nevertheless, there were also outstanding
differences of opinion as concerns essential
challenges facing the youth across the board.
The differences brought out in the research in
regards to ideas articulated by the youth in
Europe and those in East Africa are as follows:
Also among the higher educated youth,
demands for better education still persist.
Investments in schooling and training,
benchmarking as well as inter-generational
dialogue and mentoring programs are
25
 The European youth seem to perceive the
‘youth problems’ differently – among
others whether they can be classified as
structural, societal or personal –
following their level of education.
 The African youth more than the
European youth want their states to
reduce the obstacles towards achieving
their goals.
Many of the youth interviewed in East Africa
view their nation and or states as an obstacle
to achieving their dreams, given that their
states have not provided equal and assured
employment opportunities for the youth
across the table to ensure for instance, their
absorption into the job market as soon as they
graduate from their various disciplines. Many
are disappointed by their state’s current
performance. However, they see in the state
the main agent of change, too:
From the results, we discussed the
assumption that in Europe, the lower the level
of education, the less they perceive structure
to be relevant and the solution to come from
the societal structure. The African youth on
the other hand whether highly educated or
not still blame the societal structure and the
governmental system by which they depend
on to provide favourable conditions for them
to
overcome
challenges
such
as
unemployment, unequal distribution of
resources and unsteady economic growth
“The government should allocate funds to
help those who are determined to make
their dreams come true"79
 The African youth want to participate
actively in making a positive change in
their society.
In Western Europe, by contrast, the
interviewees saw much more responsibility on
themselves and expected the states mainly to
improve the conditions or framework for their
commitment. This was well noted thus:
They want to contribute to change, especially
if given opportunities in National decision
making processes so as to have a
representative voice that pushes for the
agenda of the youth. From this we formulated
the assumption that the African youth strive
for a holistic and integrated development
approach which includes a concerted effort of
the state and themselves.
“It all depends on whom we allow to guide
us, whom we chose as our leaders, what
are our goals; if we do not become
engaged things will not become better.”80
 The higher the level of education of a
European youth, the more they believe in
their personal contribution to the society.
5. Major Findings
The case is however different in the European
set up where many of the youth we
interviewed are rather individualistic and
mainly hoped for opportunities so as to propel
themselves to better lives and not necessarily
making the conditions favourable to all the
others. Some European youth believe in a
personal contribution to the society especially
those with a very high level of education; e.g.
in the PhD programme in London, there was a
wide variety of the levels of concern for social
and global challenges.
A wide range of perspectives and backgrounds
were represented in the workshops and
interviews, cutting across borderlines in
academic disciplines, professional field and
geography. Contributions from young people
were provided by East Africans and Western
Europeans, regarding their perspectives on
how they see the future including hopes and
fears, as well as the search for opportunities
for a better future for young people across the
world. By documenting the inputs of
79
Male, 22, South Sudanese, Interview Addis
Ababa, Interview 1-2, Q 23.
80
Male, 24, postgraduate from Germany, London,
Interview 21-4, Q 15.
26
participants during the seminar, we hope to
contribute to the debate on the role of youth
in society and social inclusion of young people
worldwide.
tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. This concern was
most often mentioned in the context of an
underdeveloped healthcare system in East
Africa which underlines the fear of not getting
access to adequate health care.
Which problems were identified?
(3.) Job and/or family
The first section focused on the main fears of
young people in East Africa and Western
Europe. The main findings can be summarized
as follows:
The third key concern: work life balance can
be traced back to the employment issue,
which was mentioned above. Besides the
growing
job
insecurity,
orthodoxies
concerning the labour market have been
replaced by such concepts as flexibility and
openness to change, which require life-long
learning and go hand in hand with job
insecurity. This has been identified as a
particularly vital issue in the case of young
people in East Africa and Western Europe.
However, while East Africans despite further
fears about choosing the right partner,
adequate health care and respecting
traditional and parental values, still want to
marry, get children and establish an own
family, young Western Europeans seem to be
less willing to do so. This hesitation can be
traced back to their fear that an own family
could limit chances and freedoms especially
when it comes to the issue of a professional
career. Thus, while young Eastern Africans see
an own family as a precondition for a fulfilled
life, Western Europeans do so as well but
voice uncertainty regarding future family
plans. However, in the end both groups name
career and a loving social environment (e.g.
parents, friends, and children) as top priorities
and are both concerned with finding a healthy
balance between their jobs on the one hand
and their families on the other hand.
(1.) Youth and the fear of unemployment
Despite differing circumstances, young people
in East Africa and Western Europe are facing a
number of common problems and challenges
within their respective societies. Issues of
(un)employment, health and work & life
balance remain crucial challenges for both
groups in general. Especially the issue of
(un)employment is one of the major concerns
of young East Africans and Western
Europeans. The available data from the
interviews and workshops indicate that young
people of East African and Western European
countries go through a prolonged transition
period between leaving the education system
and entering the labour market, and that this
entry is often problematic. The school-to-work
transition of young people is extended and
punctuated by frequent periods of
unemployment, precarious jobs, attempts to
work abroad and combining education with
paid work of some kind. Due to the effects of
the global economic crisis rates of
unemployment among young people are
rising. Especially, in Western Europe old
assumptions of job security and planned
careers have been disrupted by the profound
economic and social changes of recent
decades. Thus, unemployment is seen as a
widespread phenomenon and remains one of
the main challenges in East Africa as well as in
Western Europe.
(4.) Fear of growing inequality
Young people in both regions raised their
concerns about the rising inequality and a loss
in social cohesion. However, in East Africa
concerns about “absolute” poverty are more
prevalent than in Germany, where it is more
about a perception of “relative” poverty and
the efficiency of the welfare state.
(2.) Youth and health issues
Health also seems to be a major issue of both
groups. While Western Europeans are mainly
worried about health in general or
psychological health, East Africans are more
concerned about illnesses such as malaria and
After having reviewed the fears and concerns
of young people in East Africa and Western
Europe the question remains: What are their
27
hopes for the future? Addressing this question
requires summarizing the second section of
this study.
societal ones. For instance, they hope for
more individual freedom and less social
pressure. However, East African and Western
European young people share one hope: the
global reduction of poverty and conflict.
What were the hopes of the youth?
(5.) East African and Western European youth
hope for more and better job opportunities
Hence, despite other shared hopes and wishes
such as democratization, rule of law and an
inclusive society the object of the young
respondents’ fantasies differs greatly. The
spectrum comprehends visions of a more
supporting, flexible social environment which
would ease the individual advancement on a
personal level by Western European youth,
the development of infrastructure on a
societal level by East African youth to the
eradication of HIV and reduction of poverty on
a global level by East African and Western
European youth.
The first section of the study revealed the fear
of unemployment being very high among both
groups of young people. Thus, it does not
come as a surprise that both share common
plight and fantasies of more and better
employment opportunities in their societies.
(6.) Young East Africans hope for social and
spiritual cohesion
A large part of East Africans youth shows a
tendency towards spirituality and it becomes
clear that the community plays a significant
role in their life. Therefore, most of them
hope for further development of their
communities and societies. Although, also a
few European interviewees held some
comparable opinions and dreams they build
only the minority. Thus, the wish for more
spiritual cohesion of the East African youth
marks clearly a difference to the wishes and
hopes of the Western European youth.
And how can the dreams become true?
After having asked what they fear and what
they hope for the future we wanted to know
how they would implement utopian ideas to
have a positive impact on the world. The
following proposals can be seen as their core
ideas.
(8.) The youth in East Africa and in Western
Europe believe that a positive change in their
society, country and in the world is possible.
(7.) Western European young people long for
individual advancement or the betterment of
the world as a whole
An ideal future as expressed by the majority of
both youth groups include but are not limited
to the following: employment opportunities, a
peaceful coexistence with others regardless of
race, social status or religion, affordable living
standards based on steady economic growth
and financial security and the ability to reach
one’s self-actualization.
The comparison of the hopes of Western
Europeans and East Africans makes aware of
the fact, that the majority of the East African
young people dream of a world without
poverty, increased employment opportunities
in their country in order to reduce the brain
drain and the improvement of the national
infrastructure. While these wishes and hopes
clearly hint at a societal perspective Western
Europeans show more individualized fantasies
and less societal fantasies like those based on
infrastructural development. This can be
traced back to their societal background.
Living in countries with a developed
infrastructure, Western European young
people have the luxury to focus more on
hopes for individual advancements than on
(9.) The youth also share a common
aspiration when it comes to demanding that
their governments provide better and widely
affordable education
This includes education promoting critical
skills in leadership, offering mentorship
training and providing intergenerational
dialogue platforms so as to give them a better
edge in competing with their peers
internationally. This will in turn foster
28
increased participation and ownership of ideas
that will bring about positive change in their
societies.
to reduce global poverty and the belief that
they can have a positive impact on the world.
However, there are also differences when it
comes to their fears, hopes and utopian ideas
which can be mainly traced back to their
different societal background. While the youth
in East Africa seems to focus more on societal
and regional issues and their solutions the
youth of Western Europe seems to be more
concerned with their personal advancement
and global issues in general.
(10.) The African youth wants to participate
actively in making a positive change in their
society while Western European youth
focuses more on making a positive change in
their personal live
The East African youth wants to contribute to
change, especially if given opportunities in
national decision making processes so as to
have a representative voice pushing the
agenda of the youth. Hence, the African youth
seems to strive for a holistic and integrated
development approach which includes a
concerted effort of the state and themselves.
The Western European youth, we have
interviewed, are rather individualistic and
mainly look for opportunities so as to propel
themselves to have better lives and not
necessarily making the conditions favourable
to all others. However, European youth
believes in a personal contribution to the
society especially those with a very high level
of education, e.g. in the PhD programme in
London.
Today's young generation in East Africa and
Western Europe remain confident. Although
national circumstances and the economic
crisis have indeed a negative impact on
employment opportunities in both regions
young people are still convinced that they can
have a positive impact not only on their
personal lives but also on their societies and
the world. With the challenges of everyday
life, work and society young people of both
groups remain pragmatic. Both generations
seem to be characterized by a strong
performance orientation and a strong sense of
social relationships. These are the findings of
our study on “How young people in East Africa
and Western Europe see the future.”
(11.) The majority of the interviewed African
youth says that their government is
responsible to reduce obstacles to the
realization of their dreams and utopian ideas
However, our study just gives a first
impression of a really important topic: The
role of the youth in the world. As the youth of
today will lead the world of tomorrow it is
even more interesting to ask further questions
regarding their personal views, attitudes and
solutions for recent and future issues that
characterize the world. Especially, with
reference of their future role in our society
the following questions could be of interest:
But still, the youth in East Africa blame their
national government to be responsible for the
obstacles, which make it difficult to achieve
their dreams. They consider, for instance, that
their states have not provided equal and
assured employment opportunities as well as
education opportunities for the youth.
Therefore, many are disappointed by the
state’s performance to date. However, they
see in the state the main agent of change, too.
1. How can the youth be better incorporated
into the structures of decision making?
2. Can empowered youth tap into their
wealth of ‘utopian ideas’ or fantasies for a
better society and how can they
implement some of them?
Given the fears, hopes and dreams of the East
African youth and the Western European
youth it becomes apparent that although both
grew up on different continents and in
different societies they all share a common set
of fears, hopes and utopian ideas. Particularly
the issue of (un)employment seems to be a
vital issue for both groups as well as the hope
3. How can the youth be engaged in being
the drivers of change rather than
acceptors of status quo?
29
As we are part of this youth we hope that our
study can contribute to the debate on the role
of the youth in the world of today and
tomorrow and to the social and political
inclusion of young people.
6. References
Shell (2006): Jugend 2006. Eine pragmatische
Generation
unter
Druck:
http://www.shell.de/home/content/deu/abou
tshell/our_commitment/shell_youth_study/do
wnloads/
Apel, Heino (2004): The Future Workshop.
Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung.
http://www.diebonn.de/esprid/dokumente/doc2004/apel04_02.pdf
Shell (2010): Jugend 2010: Eine pragmatische
Generation
behauptet
sich:
http://www.shell.de/home/content/deu/abou
tshell/our_commitment/shell_youth_study/20
10/
Blossfeld, Hans-Peter et al. (ed.) (2006):
Globalization, Uncertainty and Youth in
Society. London & New York, Routledge.
Calmbach, Marc et al. (2012): Wie ticken
Jugendliche 2012? Sinus-Milieustudie U27,
Düsseldorf, Verlag Haus Altenberg.
Sturzbecher, Dietmar; Holtmann, Dieter (2007):
Werte, Familie, Politik, Gewalt. Was bewegt
die Jugend? LIT Verlag, Berlin.
Chikwanha, Annie/ Masunungure, Eldred (2007):
Young and old in Sub-Saharan Africa: who are
the real democrats? Working Paper No. 87,
kms1.isn.ethz.ch/.../AfropaperNo87.pdf
Tranberg Hansen, Karen et al. 2008: Youth and the
City in the Global South, Bloomington.
UN-Economic Commission for Africa (2009):
African Youth Report. Expanding Opportunities
for and with Young People in Africa.
http://new.uneca.org/Portals/4/Publications/
AfricanYouthReport_09.pdf
Eurobarometer (2007): Young Europeans. Survey
among young people aged between 15-30 in
the
European
Union
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_2
02_sum_en.pdf
UN-Economic Commission for Africa (2011):
African Youth Survey: Addressing the youth
education and employment nexus in the new
global
economy
http://www.uneca.org/ayr2011/African%20Yo
uth%20Report_2011_Final.pdf
Eurobarometer (2011): Youth on the Move.
Analytical
report.
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_3
19b_en.pdf
Gavin, Michelle (2007): Africa’s Restless Youth.
Council on Foreign Relations. Current History,
May,
2007.
http//www.cfr.org/publication/13236/africas_
restless_youth.html
United Nations, Department of Economic and
Social Affairs (2007): World Youth Report
2007. Young People’s Transition to Adulthood:
Progress and Challenges. United Nations, New
York.
Gille, Martina et al. (2006): Jugendliche und junge
Erwachsene
in
Deutschland.
Lebensverhältnisse,
Werte
und
gesellschaftliche Beteiligung 12- bis 29Jähriger. DJI – Jugendsurvey Band 3,
Wiesbaden, VS-Verlag.
United Nations, Department of Economic and
Social Affairs (2010): World Youth Report.
Youth & Climate Change. United Nations, New
York.
World
Bank
(2012):
Fertilty
rates
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.T
FRT.IN
Honwana, Alcina/de Boeck, Filip (eds.) (2005):
Makers and Breakers: children and youth in
postcolonial Africa. Oxford: James Currey.
30
7. Annex
Annex I
Go Africa V: The hymn of youth
– What matters is the people –
We dream about a world, where everybody is equal,
what matters is the people,
there's no discrimination, no subjugation, no violation,
there is only liberation.
Everbody's free, (free!)
everybody's equal, (equal!)
what matters is the people,
Chorus: What matters is the people - in this world,
everybody's equal - in this world, (x2)
Germans and East Africans united,
we all came togetha to fight it,
poverty, corruption, hunger - we smite it,
everybody's free,
everybody's equal,
what matters is the people,
Chorus
It's about the power of the youth in the future,
it's about protection and inclusion of the nature,
it's human dignity,
and that is what we see,
everybody's free,
everybody's equal,
what matters is the people,
Chorus.
31
Annex II
QUESTIONNAIRE
How do Young People in Western Europe and Eastern Africa See the Future?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Go Africa… Go Germany…” is an exchange programme organized by the Federal Agency of Civic
Education/bpb in Germany that promotes civic awareness and the participation of the youth in
educational projects across Germany and African countries (please find more information on:
www.bpb.de/goafrica).
The participants of this exchange programme realize together a study in which they try to find out the
various problems and frustrations facing the youth in both Germany (and other Western European
Countries) and Africa. We would like to welcome your participation by answering the following
questions. This information will be handled with utmost confidentiality. Thank you!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Gender
Female □
Male □
Country of Origin
.........................……….
Nationality
…………………………………
Marital Status
Single □
Married □
Divorced □
Do you have any children?
0□
1□
2□
3□
4□
more than 4□
What is your current age?
………………….
What is your highest level of Education?
Primary
□
Secondary □ Apprenticeship □
Undergraduate □
Post
Graduate□
What was your field of study if undergraduate or postgraduate level?
Undergraduate:............................................. Postgraduate: ………………………………
What is your current occupation?
Student □
Intern □
Employed □
Unemployed □
Business □
Please specify your area of specialization: …………………………………….
Where do you currently live (please specify country, town and neighbourhood)?
..................................................................................................
What would you describe as your current socio-economic status?
Upper class □ Upper-middle □
Lower-middle □
Lower class □ No Response
□
What are your top priorities in life?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
13. What do you think is your greatest concern as a youth in contemporary society?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
32
14. What are your greatest fears about life right now?
1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
15. Do you think your situation will improve or get worse in the near future? Why?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
16. Who do you think is responsible for improving your situation in future? What could they do?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
17. What are your greatest hopes for your personal future and the future of your society?
1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
18. How do you think will your society change in the next few years?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
19. How do you see your future in five years?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
20. What influences your view of the future?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
33
21. What frustrations/problems can you identify in the life of youths in your country?
1. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
22. What would you want to change about the above mentioned frustrations/problems that are
common to your country’s youth?
1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
23. Can you imagine a society, in which young people can live following their wishes and
dreams? How would such a society look like? (these ideas can be utopian and new)
1. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………….……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
24. Which steps could, in your view, help to realize your ideals of a society better adapted to the
wishes of young people?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
25. Is there anything you would like to add concerning the topic “Youth and Future”?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
34
Annex III: Interviewers
Interviewer
Name
Surname
Samuel
Oyath
Veto
1
2
Kibati
3
Rau
4
Wairui
5
Klocke
6
Grigoriadis
7
Wabuke
8
Shahale
RungeRannow
9
10
11
12
Herwig
Salim
Mohamedy
13
Frey
Mersha
Abebe
14
Keter
Veronicah
Vanessa
Stanley
Sascha
Nuria
Monica
Mercy
Matthias
Rufus
Maria
Lulu
Louisa
Lealem
Laureen
Lara
15
Fleischer
16
Kruse
Katja
17
Salkowski
Julia
Jonas
18
von der
Heyden
19
Oketta
20
Jamad
Hersi
von
Weitershau Inez
sen
Eisenhauer Harald
21
22
23
24
Karake
Mwihia
Mburu
25
Gollasch
26
TOTAL
Kamero
Jasper
Doreen
Daniel
Christoph
Peter
Region/City (Country)
East Africa/ interviews
in Addis Ababa/
Ethiopia
Future Workshop
Nairobi
East Africa/interviews
in Nairobi (Kenya)
Western
Europe/Madrid (Spain)
East Africa/ Addis
Ababa (Ethiopia)
Future Workshop
Nairobi
Future Workshop
Eldoret (Kenya)
a. Zansibar/ Tanzania
b. Naples/Italy
Interviewee Workshop Date/time period
s
participants
9
20
Xx
6
a. 3,
b. 9
Future Workshop Berlin
-
-
Future Workshop Berlin
East Africa/Addis Ababa
7
(Ethiopia)
Future Workshop
Nairobi
15
(internation
Western Europe/Oxford al), 8
(UK)
(European)
-
12
(see above)
15
3.12.2011
10
19.11.2011
-
-
(see above)
(see above)
-
-
xx
Western
Europe/Wuppertal
(Germany)
Future Workshop
Kampala
11
-
-
Western
Europe/London (UK)
8
-
-
-
Future Workshop
Nairobi
Western Europe/Berlin
(Germany)
-
-
-
101
12
-
28
-
35
3.12.2011
(see above)
8
65
xx