About the Region

It is important to look at countries individually and the region as a whole and the common issues that pertain the region. It has been eighteen years since the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsis, where one million lives were lost in the span of 100 days. Today, the vast majority of Rwandans still struggle with the long-term effects of the genocide. It is rare to find someone who has not been touched by the genocide through destruction of family, damaged or stolen property, discrimination, and a general loss of trust within communities. Uganda and Tanzania too face the same kind of conflicts though not on the same level. With the war in northern Uganda with KONY who uses child soldiers, to resource conflicts in Tanzania, conflict has been a reality in the region. However, these conflicts are not only violent but they are also political and ethnic.

Living in an increasingly globalized world, the solutions to these issues of poverty and diversity have to be intertwined. In an understanding of this reality, the political leadership of these three societies has been working tirelessly to create a more integrated East African Community. As of recent, debates in the political sphere have sparked about setting up a common trade tariff, currency, etc. Though this process will take years to have a fully integrated EA community, there is an important voice has been left out in these debates and that is the youth. Youth who amount to approximately 70 million in the region, have a vital role to play in advancing the EAC vision and therefore EAC endeavors can no longer be left solely to political leadership. In order to allow for the building of a knowledgeable, active and conscious youth in the region we believe that, debate is an important tool.