Blind Youth Association Nepal (BYAN) is a national youth with disabilities led organisation with 10 chapters across the country and more than 500 general members. The major working areas of the organisation are inclusive education, employment and self-employment, political participation and civic engagement of persons with disabilities and health and hygiene.
Why Blind Youth Association Nepal?
- Despite increased youth engagement in politics in Nepal, youth from marginalised groups, particularly those with disabilities, are underrepresented in the mainstream youth movement. Their physical, attitudinal, and communication barriers, along with discrimination based on disability, hinder their meaningful participation and often face violations of their civil and political rights during elections and voter registration.
- A recent election monitoring conducted by BYAN revealed that a majority of polling centres have numerous obstacles and barriers creating problems in exercising the right to vote.
- This project aims to solve these problems by raising the agendas of youth with disabilities in the mainstream youth movement, political discourses and government’s forums through advocacy.
- The Youth Democracy Cohort aims at being inclusive and representative of young people from all horizons and the project will create methodologies for the Youth Democracy Cohort to be more inclusive towards young people with disabilities.
Objectives and activities
- Advocating and raising awareness among CSOs and youth led movements on the importance of promoting voice in governance and equal opportunities for young people with disabilities.
- Ensuring and supporting the participation of youth with disabilities in local government through their involvement in planning processes.
- Promoting a culture of human rights among youth led political parties and youth wings of established political parties by enhancing the knowledge of youth with and without disabilities on democracy.
Activity 1: National and provincial level dialogues with various youth led civil society organisations
A total of four dialogues will take place, three at the province level and one at the national level, bringing together representatives from youth organisations along with young individuals with disabilities to discuss the pressing issues faced by the latter for their participation. Following these dialogues a methodology on people with disability inclusion toward CSOs, political parties and local authorities will be created.
Activity 2: National Advocacy Dialogues with youth parliamentarians of different political parties and their youth leaders
The National Advocacy Dialogues will consist of several presentations and sharing sessions to address the issues and challenges faced by youth with disabilities and explore ways to enhance the participation of youth with disabilities in various political party mechanisms.
Activity 3: Local advocacy and lobby for the participation of youth with disabilities in the planning process
Various small advocacy and lobby meetings will be held by well instructed local youth with disabilities with the elected representatives and authorities of selected local municipalities.
Activity 4: Workshop with youth with disabilities on democracy and civil and political rights
Three provincial workshops will be organised for young people with disabilities to facilitate knowledge sharing and discussions on democracy, civil rights, and political rights, with the goal of empowering them to raise their voices and claim their rights.
Main deliverables
- 20 young leaders from political parties or young parliament members sensitised on young people with disabilities political participation.
- Dialogues engaging more than 250 young people with and without disabilities organised to discuss the new agendas of youth to be incorporated in the youth movement.
- 50 to 60 youth with disabilities having their knowledge on democracy and civil and political rights enhanced, instructed and engaged in advocacy campaigns and engaging local elected bodies on the youth with disabilities’ agenda.
Don’t miss any of their activities