What You Need to Know
The 20th YPFDJ Europe Conference highlighted the importance of empowering Eritrean youth through education and technology. Attendees engaged with elder leaders and discussed the role of AI in shaping the future. The conference emphasized intentionality in nurturing the next generation, fostering a sense of identity and purpose among young Eritreans.
Africa-Press – Eritrea. The 20th YPFDJ Europe Conference was more than a gathering. It was an awakening. From the moment I arrived, I felt a sense of purpose that was both familiar and renewed. The theme set the tone for everything that followed. Building a conscious, committed, and capable youth is not a slogan. It is a responsibility. It is a continuation of a journey that began long before this generation was born.
What struck me most was the clarity of direction. There was no confusion about who we are or where we are going. The young Eritreans in attendance carried themselves with confidence, grounded in identity and strengthened by knowledge. They were not searching for meaning. They were building it.
Throughout the conference, I had the opportunity to listen and learn from elder leadership, including ambassadors and seasoned national representatives who have dedicated their lives to the service of Eritrea. Their presence was not symbolic. It was instructive. They spoke with the weight of experience and forward-looking vision that recognized the central role of youth in shaping the nation’s future.
Equally inspiring were the young heads of mission and youth leaders who stood at the intersection of responsibility and action. They represented a generation that is not waiting for direction but is actively shaping outcomes. Their command of issues, their discipline in execution, and their clarity of purpose reflected something deeper than individual ambition. It reflected a collective consciousness.
I learned a great deal during those days. Not only from formal sessions, but from conversations in hallways, shared meals, and reflections after long days of engagement. The conference was motivational and deeply educational. It reaffirmed for me that Eritrea’s greatest asset has always been its people, and more importantly, its ability to organize, educate, and empower them with intention.
My own contribution to the conference was a presentation titled “AI and the Power Within: Empowering Ourselves to Empower the Next Generation.” In preparing for this talk, I reflected on the nature of science and technology and how knowledge moves across time and place. Science does not belong to one people or one nation. It is discovered, refined, and passed on. Those who recognize it, acquire it, and apply it with purpose become its stewards.
Artificial Intelligence is no different.
AI is not owned by those who invented its early models. It will be owned by those who understand it, shape it, and apply it to solve real problems. This is where Eritrean youth have an extraordinary opportunity. They do not need to start from the beginning. They can begin from where the world is today. They can acquire knowledge at its current stage and take ownership of it, provided the right environment is created.
But technology alone is not enough. This is where the human element becomes central.
I spoke about intentionality. About the need to be deliberate in how we guide and support our children. Nature itself gives us a powerful example. A child develops over nine months in the womb, a process that is constant, uninterrupted, and fully committed. Those nine months amount to 6,480 hours of continuous development. It is a process that nature does not negotiate.
If we take that same principle and apply it to how we raise and guide our children, even in a modest way, the results are transformative. Two hours a day of focused, intentional support add up to 6,480 hours over time. That is the equivalent of nine years of consistent investment in a child’s growth. The lesson is simple, but profound. When we are intentional with our time and our attention, we shape outcomes that extend far beyond what we can immediately see.
The reception to this message was powerful. Not because it introduced something entirely new, but because it connected familiar values with emerging realities. Eritrea’s foundation has always been built on self-reliance, discipline, and collective responsibility. AI and modern technology do not replace these values. They amplify them.
What I witnessed at the conference was the alignment of these principles with a new generation that is ready to carry them forward.
There was a sense of continuity that was both reassuring and inspiring. The same spirit that sustained Eritrea during its most difficult years is alive today, not as memory, but as practice. It is visible in how the young people think, how they organize, and how they engage with the world around them.
This is what made the experience so eye-opening for me.
I have attended many conferences over the years in different parts of the world and across different industries. Many are informative. Some are inspiring. Few are transformative. This was one of those rare moments when you could see the connection between the past, present, and future with clarity.
I saw a generation that understands its history but is not confined by it. A generation that is open to learning but grounded in identity. A generation that recognizes that the future is not something to wait for, but something to build.
I also saw something else that is often overlooked: Structure.
There is a disciplined approach to engaging, developing, and empowering Eritrean youth. This is not accidental. It is the result of years of deliberate effort. The conference itself was a reflection of that structure. Organized, focused, and purposeful. Every session, every discussion, and every interaction contributed to a larger objective.
Before concluding, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the organizers of the 20th YPFDJ Europe Conference for their vision, discipline, and tireless effort in bringing this gathering to life. My deepest appreciation goes especially to the Swiss Eritrean community and the YPFDJ organizing committee, whose dedication, hospitality, and attention to detail created an environment that was both welcoming and purposeful. Their work made it possible for all of us to engage, learn, and contribute meaningfully to the collective journey.
As I left the conference, I carried with me not just memories, but renewed conviction. The journey toward building a conscious, committed, and capable youth is ongoing. It requires effort, discipline, and intention. But it is a journey that is clearly moving in the right direction.
We often speak about the future as something unknown, something uncertain. But there are moments when the future reveals itself, not in grand declarations, but in the confidence of a people who know who they are and where they are going.
This was one of those moments.
The YPFDJ (Youth of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice) has been instrumental in mobilizing Eritrean youth since its inception. Established to promote the ideals of self-reliance and collective responsibility, the organization has evolved to address contemporary challenges, including technological advancements. The 20th conference served as a platform for intergenerational dialogue, connecting the wisdom of past leaders with the aspirations of the youth today. This continuity reflects Eritrea’s commitment to nurturing a capable and conscious generation that can navigate the complexities of the modern world.
