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Raila Odinga – The Flame That Lit A Continent
The tools he fought to place in our hands—the laws, the freedoms, the hope—are now ours to wield. Let us honor the whole of his journey—the triumphs and the scars—by building a future so just and free that it becomes his greatest testament.
Reimagining The Mbeki Report For A New Generation
n 2015, the Mbeki Panel on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) unveiled a truth that shook the continent: Africa was losing over $50 billion every year through illicit financial flows, all these are resources that could have transformed education, health, and infrastructure. Reports by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), UNCTAD and TJNA in recent years have underscored that these amounts are even higher in 2025. The report did more than expose a crisis; it offered a roadmap for reclaiming Africa’s wealth and strengthening domestic resource mobilization.
A decade later, that call for action still resonates, but it now meets a generation ready to act. The Youth for Tax Justice Network (YTJN) represents this renewed energy. It demonstrates the work young people are doing to advance the Mbeki Report’s vision through advocacy, policy dialogue, and youth-led campaigns that push for greater transparency, fair taxation, and accountability across Africa and beyond.
YTJN Nairobi Tax Talks RoundUp: Third Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to Develop a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (Day 3 Recap)
Lurit Yugusuk, speaking for the Youth for Tax Justice Network, reminded the room that harmful tax practices don’t just affect balance sheets, they affect people.“Harmful tax practices erode national tax bases, weakening the capacity to finance education, healthcare, and infrastructure that children and youth depend on.” She called for expanding Article 8 beyond multinational enterprises to include high-net-worth individuals, private investment vehicles, and professional enablers. She also pushed for mandatory public disclosure of tax incentives and public country-by-country reporting, emphasizing that “secrecy has been the lifeblood of harmful tax practices.”
Botswana Economic Crisis Sparks Youth-led Fiscal Overhaul Ahead of 4th Financing For Development Conference.
As Batswana grapple with a BWP 22 billion budget deficit (9% of GDP in 2024), rising public debt of 27.4% of GDP, squeezing funds for youth-centric programs and youth unemployment at 43.86%, underscoring the urgency of prioritizing job creation and social services for the nation’s youth-dominated population (70% under 35), the FfD4 presents an opportunity for Batswana to redefine global rules on sovereign debt, a critical issue for Botswana as diamond revenue volatility strains public finances.
Why Should Young People Care about the Financing for Development Agenda?
It’s a call to action for youth to rise, engage, demand, and drive transformative change and co-creators of a new financing paradigm that truly serves the people and the planet. This piece is also a call to action for governments, multi-lateral institutions and civil society organizations to rise to the challenge of meaningful youth inclusion.
YTJN is centering youth In FfD4 agenda
The Youth for Tax Justice Network (YTJN), in collaboration with partners including, Africa-Europe Foundation and the Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF) is spearheading a side event at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4).
