Youth as assets: an active approach
A shift in working with young people, and valuing them as assets: as advisors, colleagues and stakeholders is crucial if development policies are to be truly representative and effective. Youth participation: the active, informed and voluntary involvement of people in decision-making and the life of their communities (both locally and globally) is vital if this is to be achieved. In ascending order of responsibility, young people can participate in development as beneficiaries, partners and leaders (the DFID-CSO three-lens approach). Participation means work with and by young people, not merely work for them.28 Core values donor agencies should adopt to ensure participation are:
- Advocacy for youth as assets to development;
- Recognising young people’s agency and dynamism;
- Building youth-adult partnerships and understanding local attitudes towards youth;
- Prioritising excluded youth.
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At an operational level, participation is about:
(Adapted from Bhatnagar and Williams, 1992 for World Bank) |
- 28. Participation is seen to comprise different types and levels of engagement. Participation has often been characterised as a ladder (Sherry Arnstein, 1969 and many subsequent variations).
