Press Release

Zimbabwe, March 15th, 2007

Morgan Tsvangirai, Looking to Win in Zim!

Two weeks before the Zimbabwean election, Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC opposition candidate, seems to be doing very well in early polling, which could mean the end of Robert Mugabe’s 21 year Presidency.

Tsvangirai, while attending the 1st IYLA in Cape Town, January 2007 spoke to the delegates describing how democracy and peaceful opposition to the government were the only answer to a transition from the Mugabe government. Tsvangirai was accompanied by the MDC Treasurer Roy Bennett and joined the IYLA delegates in a visit to Robin Island, the incarceration site of Nelson Mandela for 27 years. Within two months of his involvement with the IYLA in Sunny Cape Town, Tsvangirai was beaten and jailed by government authorities after conducting a peaceful prayer service in a suburb of Harare, Zimbawe.

Now, a year later Tsvangirai’s political fortunes may be changing.

If you would like to make comments to this article, please feel free to write comments, experiences or opinions to iylanews@civicconcepts.org

Cape Town - Prague, November 5th, 2007

Civic Concepts International is Officially Established in South Africa

Civic Concepts International has officially registered as a South African Identity and is now officially recognized by the South African authorities.

After the success of the first International Youth Leadership Africa under the banner of Civic Concepts International, Czech Republic, CCI has been working hard to establish itself on the tip of the continent. William Webster, Executive Director of CCI said, “We must give a big thanks to the people at Sizwe Ntsaluba who have worked closely with CCI to register this new branch of the organization. Sizwe Ntsaluba is a leading accounting firm in the South African market and works closely on issues such as corporate governance.

Now that CCI is registered in South Africa, the work is not complete because the organization in now working on getting tax-exempt status.

Webster said “this is a big step for CCI because it will help build a foundation that will help to ensure that the IYLA and other CCI projects will grow in South Africa and throughout the continent.”

Webster added “I know that there are a lot of gifted youth leader throughout Africa and the world that are looking forward to the next IYLA. These steps will help to make the IYLA even bigger and better in the future. We hope to have the next South African IYLA in the beginning of 2009.”

August 15th, 2007

Ugandan Delegation Visits the IYLC in Prague

Civic Concepts International was pleased to host an International Youth Leadership Africa founder and accompanying delegates from Uganda to the 14th International Youth Leadership Conference. Wafula Sirabo Patrobas who attended the 1st IYLA in Cape Town, South Africa, along with the delegation of Abbas Agaba Mugisa, National Chairman of the NRM-Youth League and the Vice President of the National Youth Council, along Peace Regis Mutuuzo, the Private Secretary to his Excellency the President in Charge of Youth Affairs, traveled to Prague to participate and observe the IYLC.

The delegation arrived in Prague with the intent of hosting the next IYLA in Kampala, Uganda next year. CCI Executive Director William Webster and Patrobas discussed many of the details and plans for taking the next steps are underway. By the end of the week both sides were very encouraged about holding the 2nd IYLA in East Africa.

A formal proposal from CCI has been submitted to the Ugandan representatives and a final decision about whether the conference will be held in Kampala will be made shortly. The tentative dates for the event will be May, 2008.

Plans were made to host Webster in Kampala next month to launch the project. It was discussed that at that time a project management team would be put together, and that CCI would be looking for institutional partners in addition to strengthening its relationship with the NRM-Youth League and the office of the President in Charge of Youth Affairs. Additionally, plans were discussed to meet with other IYLA founders, Ben Karuga and Etonde Martin while in the region, with the intention of making presentations to promote the 2nd IYLA.

“The first IYLA was held in Cape Town, South Africa, its birthplace”, explained Webster, “and it is important to us to keep our South African connection.” It was discussed that the IYLA is an African event, and that in the future CCI and the IYLA envision possibly holding three conferences a year in Africa: one in the south, South Africa; one in the east, Uganda; and one in the west, the location of which will have to be negotiated.

January 7th, 2007

Important notice: all participants coming to the IYLA should fill out their travel and accommodation form and send it us as soon as possible so that we will be able to meet you when you arrive.

November 20 th, 2006

** IYLA is officially inviting IYLC and Insight Dubai ALumni to apply for facilitator positions for the 1st IYLA, hosted in Cape Town, January 2007. If you are interested please contact Bongisa and include a cover letter and CV.

September 20 th, 2006

The IYLA organizing team is now officially accepting applications for International Youth Leadership Africa. So Apply now! We are looking forward to seeing you in Cape Town.
Special Note: if you do not make this round of acceptance there will be other rounds, but spaces are filling up and we award positions to the conference on a first come first serve bases, so it is better to apply early.