In the exploration of youth participation in democratic processes, a recurring theme has emerged: the vital importance of creating an enabling environment for youth to engage and thrive in civic life. As the YDC unfolds ten case studies from Latin America to East Asia, it becomes clear that policymakers must strive to create inclusive systems empowering all youth to contribute. The authors found that, despite the unique contexts of each country, there are important policy lessons to be learned. In light of the findings of the study, five recommendations have been made. For this edition, the YDC presents a key policy lesson on building the capacity of youth:
Building the Capacity of Young People
Capacity building is at the heart of any significant effort to integrate young people into public affairs. Young people need to build adequate technical and leadership skills to meaningfully participate in politics, engage in civic activities, or significantly contribute to national development priorities. With adequate training programmes for young people, governments will be addressing the obstacle of poor education, and building productive future generations.
Findings from the case countries revealed that the governments are investing in quality education for young people, mentorship opportunities, and leadership and technical skills training. In Malta, the government is integrating civic education as part of the country’s curriculum, while also supporting the “Degree Plus Initiative” helping young people gain additional technical skills through volunteering and civic activities. This is also in addition to other simulation events supported by the government such as Model UN, National Youth Parliament, and Model EU Council, which helps young people gain relevant experience, build technical capacity, and widen their network. In Morocco, the Child Parliament has been shaping political and civic consciousness from an early age. The Australian government spends more than AUD$6.4billion on youth formal education and technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and also invests up to AUD$2.3billion to support the mental health of young people. Beyond financial investment, national and local governments in Australia are also collaborating with The Y to host the National Youth Parliament – an annual simulation programme that helps young Australians to propose, debate, and vote on bills on issues of national governance. This programme not only helps young people understand national issues but also improves their skills in public speaking. Australia’s Youth Advisory Group programme, which gives young Australians the opportunity to contribute to the government’s policies, allows young people to work with government federal departments and agencies on five thematic issues. Selected young people are paid an honorarium to compensate for their significant contributions. In the Philippines, the National Youth Parliament is organised every two years, and all local youth council (SK) officials are required to attend several mandatory training sessions, including governance and financial management. The President’s Young Professional programme in Liberia is a two-year paid training and mentorship programme that recruits and places young Liberian university graduates into government roles. Through this programme young Liberians are integrated into the country’s civil service system that helps them build the relevant capacity and experience to meaningfully contribute to the development priorities of the governments. All these activities provide enormous opportunities for young people to build their capacity and meaningfully contribute to public affairs.
Policy Recommendations
For governments to effectively improve youth participation in public affairs, they must invest in building their capacity. This can be achieved in several ways:
- Civic education and mentorship programmes: Invest in quality civic education for young people while also integrating political education, history courses, and development courses into school curricula. This will not only build young people’s understanding of the socio-political landscape, but also help them become politically conscious and identify their roles in advancing democracy. Beyond formal education, government ministries and agencies should put in place training programmes, simulation events, and bootcamps that will build the technical and leadership skills of young people. Governments should explore public-private partnerships to provide opportunities for young people to learn on-the-job through paid internship programmes, paid fellowship programmes, and periodic visits to parliaments or offices of multilateral organisations.
- Financing youth-led initiatives and programmes: Provide financial support to youth-led initiatives to build leadership and management skills through experiential learning. This is one of the most important measures to meaningfully empower young people. Many youth are forced to abandon their ideas for civic engagement because of inadequate funding. This is also the case for many youth-owned start-ups that have been frustrated by the lack of access to funding. Governments should provide youth-focused funding while also removing the red tape that makes it difficult for young people to access.
- Partnerships for youth development: Prioritise multi-stakeholder partnerships to improve youth participation in national development efforts. Governments must understand that building the capacity of young people is not their sole responsibility, but rather a joint effort of all relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, and international organisations. Governments should work with these partners to provide paid opportunities for young people to learn and unveil their ideas, while also encouraging them to contribute to the national development agenda.