Why should African youth advocate for space?
This article seeks to address the need for a pragmatic approach to space advocacy in Africa, taking into consideration the peculiarities of most African countries. It points out tips for advocating for space exploration and technology investments and shares the experiences of young space advocates in the continent .
There are so many causes to speak up for in Africa. The art of direct or indirect advocacy can be used by Africans to get positive change in different sectors. Over the years, advocates have been at the forefront of ensuring that the “elephant in the room” is discussed and addressed - be it, girl, child education, reliable justice mechanisms’ or government transparency. It is undeniable that although a situation may be perceived as unsatisfactory, it takes bold and passionate people to lend their voices for such an event or occurrence to be publicly supported or condemned. Therefore, advocacy is an effective tool to engage and relate with decision-makers and can cause and impact change on a wider scale. It also causes awareness and public knowledge for a subject matter while creating a necessary consciousness that is needed for positive societal attention to be acquired.
Space advocacy in particular is simply the process of publicly supporting the human use of space/space resources through exploration and technology. It entails creating awareness of the relevance of space technology to lives both in the present, and in the future. It involves lobbying the government and other stakeholders to fund space activities. Supporting the private space sector includes other actions that will aid in furthering the advancement of a particular space program.
What do space advocates do?
Space advocates engage in educating the public about space exploration and technology. This forms the crucial part of space advocacy as the need to create awareness and acknowledgment of the space sector by the public is tailored to space education. But little effort is put into space education in Africa as the focus is more on space advancement through technology.
Space advocates also lobby the government for increased funding in space-related activities. They influence the action and decisions of certain space-related legislation and policy making. Lobbyists in this regard may very well be people, government officials, policymakers, organizations, and even members of the private sector. Furthermore, space advocates provide information for the masses. This aspect of space advocacy is not particularly for the purpose of education, rather for awareness. Here the intention is to keep people up to date with what is going on in the space industry. Space advocates serve as news providers for the masses. "Space in Africa" is a good example of space advocacy through information dissemination.
Being a space advocate in a continent like Africa is quite a task. On the surface, this is because of the general perception that there are bigger problems to tackle in the continent, like poverty, security, and unemployment. The public conclusion then becomes that space is not a priority and is too expensive to be ventured into. This mindset is most likely formed because the concept is not introduced to the public in a relatable way. A misconception such as this does not take into consideration the innumerable benefits that space technology can make in addressing the current socioeconomic challenges that different countries in Africa are facing.
Nonetheless, the encouraging increment of young space advocates, displays that this seemingly negative perception is nothing less of a motivation to strive for a more technologically advanced continent that can be achieved through the use of space applications and space data. One of Zimbabwe's young space leaders, Ruvimbo Samanga (Ed. note: Ruvimbo previously wrote an article for Spacehubs Africa, you can check it out by clicking this link), shares her experience of being a space lawyer. In her words:
“It feels groundbreaking. I do get some very curious individuals who are just fascinated that they can be practitioners in such a domain. But overall there is a general acceptance, and I think understanding that space will become a very integrated part of our lives … and even though we face a lot of challenges, space might also be the solution for those challenges and Zimbabwe is quite open-minded in that regards.” - Ruvimbo Samanga
A space enthusiast in Africa or someone interested in the space program of a region, country, and community and will like to influence change in this sphere by taking the role of an African space advocate will find the points below useful.
Think Big, But Start Small:
You can be an impactful space advocate by reaching out to your immediate community (University, state, county, etc.) by organizing local competitions, outreaches, and awareness campaigns on social media, mainstream media, and other platforms (Ed. note: you can also join the Spacehubs Africa community and connect with other African space enthusiasts :) .
This can cause a ripple effect in public awareness of space activities. Depending on your audience and where you are on the continent, your content should be relatively practical and innovative. Take Sierra Leone, for example, Alimamy Conteh, organized the first-ever space science and astronomy symposium ever held in the country hosted by his university, Fourah Bay College in Freetown. While carrying out this activity, in January 2021, he stated that "The vision is to have an active space program in Sierra Leone on how we can raise standards and uplift our economy by digitalizing our economy." He further stated that: "Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is a foundation for space science and astronomy right across the globe. So, first things first, you need to educate the public. Tell them about the impact of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and give them practical examples of how this field is supporting their daily lives, then you can educate them about space."
Knowing and disseminating information relating to space activities around your community, like from your countries space agency or Ministry of Science, while attending space related conferences and seminars will be key in your journey as a local space advocate.
Emphasize how space can be used for good in Africa.
It will be important to educate your audience primarily on the peculiar uses of space technology in Africa. In a space awareness outreach in Nigeria, Exploring Mars may not sound very appealing when speaking, but explaining how Earth observation can help farmers cultivate better, assist in fighting Boko Haram terrorism, or reduce desertification, will present space technology in a way that affects the day-to-day life of the listener. Marco Romero, one of Angola's leading space scientists while addressing this issue mentioned that with regards to advocating for space:
“The first thing people say is, why do we need space? Why are we investing there when we have a lot of problems here on Earth? People don’t see the direct link.” - Marco Romero
Therefore, to enlighten people about the reality of space and its connection to the earth, Marco suggests that:
“When advocating for space, the first thing to do is to bring it down to Earth. (For instance) explaining how satellite Earth observation can deliver value to agriculture. Secondly, more than telling them, you need to give them a trial and opportunity for practical and experience.” - Marco Romero
(Ed. note: Marco previously wrote an article for Spacehubs Africa, you can check it out by clicking this link)
Engage the Stakeholders for implementation:
The lack of political will and motivation is a clog in the wheel of progress for most African countries when it comes to scientific innovation and technology. Millions of dollars can be budgeted for elections, or ghost projects but hardly any for research and development. Nonetheless, in recent times Africa nations are trying to cover the digital and technological divide by supporting projects and programs that can improve the lives of citizens. As an advocate, you have to engage those with decision-making bodies. This may mean getting involved in one way or the other to cause a change, hence accepting leadership roles for local or international space-focused organizations or agencies if qualified.
It is necessary to interface with these policymakers and stakeholders to get a broader view of the action plan of your country, opportunities available.
In conclusion, constructive space advocacy can influence the involvement of the government, investors, and major stakeholders by drawing their attention to the professional competencies of young people and the need to carry out value-oriented space projects. In the long run, measures will be taken to reduce the brain drain and preserve the already limited human capital assets the continent possesses in the sector.
Nelly-Helen Ebruka
Nelly is an award winning law student, space enthusiast and young pan-African leader with a passion for the legal aspect of space exploration and a desire to change the narratives of space science education in Nigeria and Africa. Nelly is an elected prospective member of the International Institute of Space Law and is currently promoting the study of space policies and space education in her community.
Augustine Ushie
Ushie is an unflinching world-changer interested in International Law, Space Law, and Sustainable Development. He is an elected prospective member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), and a member of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC). He is also the co-founder of Learnspace Foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting space education in Africa.