The West African Youth and Politics Network (RJPAO) and the Alumni Network of the Liberal Academy for Political Training (RAALFP), in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, organized a training session aimed at strengthening the capacity of young leaders from political parties and civil society. This session, which began on Friday at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation headquarters in Dakar, concluded with a special conference held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, under the theme "Between National Sovereignty and Multilateral Commitments: Political Autonomy Tested by Economic Dependence." This important meeting was moderated by economist Ndongo Samba Sylla.

Around thirty young people trained to better participate in democratic debates

On this occasion, Mr. Papa Aliou Diédhiou, coordinator of the RJPAO, in his closing remarks, reiterated the objectives of this training. "Dear colleagues, we know that you are already leaders because you were selected based not only on your level but also on your commitment, which you demonstrated through the questionnaire that was sent to you," he reminded them.

He adds: "But we initiated this training for one main objective: to equip you to better participate not only in democratic debates but also in the building of our country, from your communities, from your regions."

According to the coordinator of the RJPAO, Senegalese youth are not being used to their full potential. “Today, young people are the beating heart of our country. But are they being used to their full potential? We want to move from youthful passion to effective participation in building our country. But to do this, we must understand the issues, we must first understand the Republic. How is it organized, how is it structured? We must also understand the economic system, but above all, understand the international issues in terms of environmental standards, especially with the evolution of digital technology,” explained Papa Aliou Diédhiou.

"Today, there is a need to meet the challenge of ensuring quality youth participation in politics."

The president of RAALFP, Mr. Mouhamadou Dieng, explained that this 48-hour training session addresses current issues, particularly those related to the withdrawal of political parties from training their members, and also the current need to shift from simply increasing youth participation in politics to ensuring high-quality youth participation. He stressed the urgent need to meet these challenges. Hence the organization of this training, which attracted nearly 700 applications in just a few days.

“Investing in youth is an option chosen by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.”

This training session on "Youth in the School of Political Leadership" is of paramount importance to the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. According to its deputy director, Mr. Daouda Seck, investing in youth is a deliberate choice by the foundation to equip them with the necessary tools, facilitating their participation in political life and thus contributing to their access to the decision-making process.

It should be noted that the training session was attended by 30 young people from Senegalese political parties and civil society. All of these young people received a certificate.