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Search by Keywords: Advanced Search The requested resource (/editor/default/) is not available Sign-up here! Subscription is free and allows you to receive email newsletters, alerts, and to access a comprehensive member directory and network with other development professionals. Sign-up here About this Report This Special Report provides a forum about the involvement of youth in development activities. Participating in this Special Report are our dgCommunities focused on: Afghanistan Reconstruction Capacity Development Civil Society Culture & Development E-Learning Gender and Development Glocalization Governance HIV/AIDS ICT for Development Knowledge Economy Microfinance Open Educational Resources Population and Reproductive Health Poverty Urban Development Youth for Development     Become a Development Gateway member, and you will be notified of our upcoming reports. Sign-up! See previous Special Reports here. Special Report The requested resource (/editor/default/) is not available From Our Members Should Youth Try to Influence Policy Change? Government policies can dramatically affect the future for millions of young people in the developing world. How are governments listening today to their young people? What practices promote engaging youths in policy-making? What are the promises and obstacles of involving youths in policies? A Development Gateway survey asked its users: Should youth try to influence social and policy change? Rwanda - Emmanuel Habumuremyi In Rwanda, youth have a national council as an organization stated in the constitution. The council has to deal with all issues related to youth, especially those related to good governance and youth welfare. Also, Rwandan civil society organization comprises youth organizations that play a big role in youth-oriented-issue advocacy. Besides all this, Rwandan youth have two seats in the Rwandan Parliament. Australia - Robert Fitzgerald While there are many good examples of youth involvement in the socio-political arena, at the end of the day this arena is controlled by adults who assume and think they know better. This begins in our schools and continues throughout the education and early employment phase. Youth need to develop the skills of leadership by being leaders - this starts at school. US - Jayne Musumba There are no formal mechanisms in place that youth could use to influence change. In many cases, the CSOs and NGOs try to work on their behalf. However, I feel it is imperative for the youth to have the right tools when that opportunity comes. Pakistan - Minal Rahimtoola The rights of young people are still a relatively new concept in South Asia. People tend to be more concerned with the rights of children or with human rights as a whole because, unfortunately culturally young people between the age of 15 and 30 are considered able, energetic and "jawaan" enough to deal with various issues on their own. Not yet adults but not children any more, young people in this region are often neglected as an entity. Guyana- Vidyaratha Kissoon We have had a 'young' President for a long time and there are many young people who voted for and against him! There are also 'young' people who are active in political life such as Ministers and other political activists. Youth as a constituency does not always work across the political divisions. Malaysia - Kwan Meng Lee We have a council that coordinates policies between the government and youth NGOs. Many of our current national leaders were formerly leaders of youth NGOs. Mexico - Alejandra Meglioli Several youth networks exist at the regional and country levels with youth advocating for change. Youth are also part of international meetings and often times included in national delegations. Sri Lanka - Azra Cader Sri Lanka has a very large youth population, constituting about 30% of the total population, making them a vital group in influencing social and political change. However, youths' capacity to be involved as well as their own attitude towards this change does not allow for it. Government policies rarely connect with youth at a village level and make no effort to support youth or ensure their participation in development. Puerto Rico - Angel Santiago Change has been difficult because the old generation is not cooperative at all. Pakistan - Amera Salman Yunus Empowering youth will enable them, in the future, to make their children understand that actions have reactions and most often rewards and disasters are reaped by future generations, seldom by those who act in the first place. Nicaragua - Oscar Bonilla Many youth are actors of change in their communities. They also are the ones who promote participation. They are very eager to contribute to change and development. Saudi Arabia - Fatinah Shaker Youth will carry the consequences of the future. They are creative, imaginative and have fresh visions. We need this for development and adaptation to the fast moving world of technology. Papua New Guinea - Linus Dawanincura Youth are on the fringes of development. Their views are not considered. Education does not prepare them properly for the world outside the classroom. They have high expectations but are not prepared and taught how to achieve these dreams. They are blamed for a lot of law and order problems in the country. They are a very frustrated and confused group of people in the country. India - P.V. Narayanan Unfortunately, most of the youth in India have developed an apathy towards becoming a change agent and taken a liking for quick bucks and enjoyment of life with very little or no faith in collective cause or improvement. Colleges and student politics in India are systematically used by political parties and are even backed by them -- the youth who are part of it misuse it for power and reach rather than trying to do any good. Sudan - Hashim Yagoup Youth are prime movers for the communities. Thus, they should try to influence the social and policy changes. The future is for the youth, and they are the main inputs for enhancing development. Ghana - Sulley Alhaji Abdulai The youth of Ghana and Africa as a whole fully understand the implications of government policies and have been able to influence state priorities at different levels. The youth of Ghana have been quite successful in ensuring peaceful democratic transition from one group to another. The requested resource (/editor/default/) is not available Email this page Sign-up Learn about AMP...   From Our Members What did Development Gateway members have to say in our Youth Survey? Should Youth Try to Influence Policy Change? How Are Countries Promoting Youth Employment? What Steps Sustain Health and Well-Being for Youths? Partners Key Resources 2007 World Development Report "Development and the Next Generation" 2006 Global Employment Trends for Youth: ILO UN World Youth Report 2007 UNICEF Voices of Youth Global Youth Network Glocal Youth Parliament Staying Alive Our Time Is Now: Young People Changing the World Employability, Leadership and Engagement, Health and Education Global Events Sept. 13-16: 3rd Global Youth Employment Summit, Nairobi, Kenya Oct. 29 - 31: UN Global Youth Leadership Summit Nov. 14-20: Youth and ICT Week: Making ICTs Available for African Youth Dec. 2-10: BBC: Generation Next Dec. 4-6: ITU Telecom World Youth Forum, Hong Kong Jan. 21-25, 2007. Brightest Young Minds Annual Conference, Australia Feb. 22-25, 2007: International Youth Volunteerism Summit, Chicago, USA

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