PUTTING YOUTH ENGAGEMENT INTO PRACTICE

By Gilbert Chisenga!

(Presented at the occasion of the third session of the National Youth Development Trust Youth Popular Participation in Leadership at Inyanga Zimbabwe 2009)

INTRODUCTION



The Commonwealth
The Harare Declaration, the Fancourt Declaration and the Aso Rock Declaration1, among others, made it clear that the C/Wealth is an association which values human rights, good governance, sustainable development and human security for all. “In our efforts to make these values real, the energies, talents and resources of all Commonwealth citizens will be needed, and this includes those of young people.”

This gave the CYP the mandate to create a platform for the youth participation hence the birth of Commonwealth Regional Youth Caucuses (CRYCs) in all the four regions i.e.
 Africa,Asia,S/Pacific and the Caribbean
 Comprising Youth Representatives from C/Wealth member countries
 Members are nominated or appointed by their member governments
 The PSs form the RAB
 Youth Ministers make the CYMM
 Heads of Gvts make the CHOGM

 In today’s modern Commonwealth, members are bound together by more than shared history or a common language. The thread that binds together 53 states from across the globe is shared commitment to a set of common, Commonwealth values.
 In the 2003 Aso Rock Declaration Commonwealth leaders recognised that “[…] more than fifty per cent of the population of the Commonwealth is below thirty years of age.

THE ROLE OF THE CRYC

 Advocate, promote and disseminate information on Commonwealth Secretariats’ Programme of Action for Youth Empowerment (PAYE) agenda to young people.
 Promote and disseminate information on Programme of Action for Youth Empowerment (PAYE) agenda to member Government and other key stakeholders
 Resource to young people, member government and other key stakeholders in contribution to youth development
 In liaison with member Government develop a calendar of planned activities to contribute to national youth development
 Report quarterly on the programmes, activities, obstacles facing youth development in your country in regard to implementation of planned activities.
 Provide regional chairs with information about youth focused organisations thereby assist build CYP youth networks.
 Enhance knowledge base of CYP on youth issues through participating in capacity building programmes and other initiatives.
 In liaison with member Government develop a calendar of planned activities to contribute to national youth development
 Report quarterly on the programmes, activities, obstacles facing youth development in your country in regard to implementation of planned activities.
 Provide regional chairs with information about youth focused organisations thereby assist build CYP youth networks
 Enhance knowledge base of CYP on youth issues through participating in capacity building programmes and other initiatives.

The big issue - mainstreaming youth participation
 Mainstreaming youth in society is about ensuring that young people are a full part of all organisations and all social institutions that make up our societies. Like gender mainstreaming, youth mainstreaming seeks to ensure the full citizenship of people; enabling an excluded sector of society to become integral in shaping the nature of that society through its different social formations, organisations and institutions.
An organisation that has engaged in the process of mainstreaming youth will recognise that young people are not just an add-on to programmes and social interventions. Young people stop being just a target group or beneficiaries, they become integral to the process of finding solutions and become part of implementing solutions.
 Youth engagement is not just about recruiting young people as volunteers, interns and junior staff members. It is about a deeper transformation that makes them central in the work of the organisation.

The case for youth engagement

What is the benefit for organisations?


 If organisations are unable to capture the imagination of the young, then they will miss the opportunity to bring in new energy and enthusiasm and without this, these organisations will not survive into the future. But beyond survival, by not bringing in young people today, we deny ourselves the opportunity to tap into the creativity and resources of young peopleHere are some positive reasons why organisations should engage young people:
 Young people bring new ideas into an organisation, creating a channel of communication with the next generation. It opens itself up to new ideas and perspectives and this in turn makes sure that is stays relevant to the changing environment. It is worth noting that the next generation of young people is exposed to more information and knowledge than any before. They experience the world in ways older people cannot, and for this reason they hold the key to the future.


 Young people bring with them an enthusiasm and optimism that has not been blunted by repeated failure and hard experiences. Inexperience is often seen as a reason not to bring in young people, yet it is the very quality that opens room for innovation and experimentation. Young people are more able to take the necessary risks needed to deal with a changing environment. This ability to envision the future can invigorate any organisation.

When an organisation works with young people, it creates deeper roots and stronger loyalties. Organisations that will survive in the future are those that are credible in the eyes of young people and therefore enjoy their support. Depending on the vision and the work at hand, young people can be the best advocates, leading and influencing their peers and shaping new ideas.

Any vision can only live in the future if it is able to cultivate and nurture the next generation of champions. Given the right tools and support, young people can often be joint leaders who will carry the organisation into the future. They will change it and update it, but in doing so they will ensure that organisations will continue the struggle for a better world for all people.

 What is the benefit for young people?

Youth engagement does not only aim to keep our organisations alive. It also aims to work with young people to develop their full potential. This is as important, if not more so. than ensuring the survival of the organisation into the future. When an organisation opens itself up through engaging young people, it becomes a vehicle for youth development without necessarily becoming a youth serving organisation. This means that for the groups of young people it brings in (even if few in number), it will provide them with the space needed to enhance their skills and competencies.

 “Participation is an essential part of human growth, that is development of self confidence, pride, initiative, creativity, responsibility, cooperation, …this is whereby people learn to take charge of their lives and solve their own problems, is the essence of development.”
‘ Stan Burkey, 1993’

Here are some of the ways young people will benefit from a youth engagement strategy:
 Participation fosters the development of leadership competencies: Through youth engagement, young people can gain leadership skills by enhancing their knowledge and understanding of society, especially in the technical and specialised fields where young people do not often participate. This enhances their sense of responsibility as their problem solving skills and creativity is encouraged. The young person is not only an asset in the organisation; they are also an asset in society in general.


 youth engagement provides young people with a bridge into the world of adults.

When young people are engaged, they are more likely to benefit and acquire skills from the partnership that they build with adults in the organisation. They become more open to learning and to engaging in critical dialogue as they forge mutually respectful relationships with adults.


 Participation begets more participation. When young people experience the benefits of participating in something worthwhile, they are more inclined to participate in other areas of society. They become more resourceful in their families, communities and broader society. There is compelling evidence that political skills of participation acquired during youth are a key part of the process of identity formation. The individual is more likely to stay active in civic life as s/he grows older.
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(Gilbert Chisenga is a Zambian Youth Leader. He has been a representative of Zambia at the Commonwealth Youth Caucus African Region.(2005-2007). Mr Chisenga is credited for pioneering the Zambian Youth Parliament which has been recognised and adopted by the Zambian Government. You can read more of the views of young people in Zimbabwe on www.nydtchat.ning.com or www.nydtzim.org)