Legendary Congolese and French rapper Youssoupha joined content creators, media professionals and young audiences in Brussels for a conversation about the issues shaping a new generation for African youths, from music and culture to mental health and social media.
The gathering formed part of the Kouman x Brussels initiative built around the popular Ivorian podcast "Laissons Parler les Gens," which uses digital storytelling, humour and culture to invite conversations on issues affecting young Africans and their engagement online.
Youssoupha acknowledged cyberbullying, harassment and bullying formed part of the challenges of today's digital age, but he urged young people to focus instead on the positives.
"We must build on the positive. We’ve been and we tend to be placed in tough situations. But the hard times—they’re always going to be there. I said it on set just an hour ago: 'The hard times and challenges will always be there— no matter the times or era, whatever the generation,'" Youssoupha said.
"And in fact, if we settle for just the hard part, in the end we won’t move forward. We’re going to move forward with the people who encourage us, the resources, the talents, and the strengths—and that’s what will take us upward, actually. The rest—everything that doesn’t help us move forward is useless," he added.
