| De: |
"Kirsten Jordan" [ Profil ] |
| Sujet: |
Week two thoughts
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| Envoyé: |
Jul 9th, 2007 - 12:08:47 |
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Hi! I hope that you all are great! For me...
Youth participation can generally be defined as involving youth in the
decision-making processes. As a group, youth often do not have many
opportunities to become involved in issues (for example education,
employment, and health care) that will ultimately affect them the most.
It is vital then that the strengths and skills of this group are
recognized and heard. However, there are many different levels of youth
participation which are often known as the "ladder of participation".
The Ladder of Participation provides a model of thinking about youth
participation and describes various levels from manipulation and
tokenism to youth-initiated and directed. The lowest levels, which
involve manipulation and therapy, are considered to be
non-participative. Providing information about citizen rights and
responsibilities is considered to be a first step towards participation,
but still reflects a degree of tokenism. The highest form of
participation is citizen control. (Hart 1992)
Below is part of a handout on youth participation that I am developing
as a tool/ resource, it is still in the initial stages!
YOUTH PARTICIPATION:
"Youth participation today tends to be issue specific and
service-oriented. Reluctant to join a formal organization or council,
many young people prefer to find open opportunities created by
communities and institutions to become involved in the issues that
concern them. As a result, there are emerging forms of youth structures
that tend to be based on networks of collaboration and common
interests."
~UN World Youth Report 2005
The past decade has seen a growing acceptance of the importance
of youth participation in decision-making and successful efforts to
engage young people in a variety of ways has occurred. (UN 2005: 72)
Effective youth participation requires fundamental change in the
way society perceives young people. Girls and young women may need
additional support to overcome cultural, social, and economic barriers
in order to fully participate. (UN 2005: 73)
Youth participation can be defined as involving youth in
challenging, responsible action that meets genuine needs, with the
opportunity for planning or decision-making affecting others. (Zeldin
2000: 1)
Participation provides youth with the opportunities for positive
development.
"Through civic engagement, young people's ides and energy can contribute
meaningfully as they participate in community-building, work towards
social change, and apply their leadership skills, all the while giving
access to services, supports, and opportunities that facilitate their
development."[1]
"The new technologies that are changing our world are not a panacea or a
magic bullet. But they are without doubt enormously powerful tools for
development. They create jobs. They are transforming education,
healthcare, commerce, politics and more. They can help in the delivery
of humanitarian assistance and even contribute to peace and security."
~Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary-General, November 2001
At the organizational level there are six positive outcomes
usually associated with youth participation:
i.Principles of youth involvement
become embedded in the organization;
ii.Young people help clarify and bring
focus to the organization;
iii.The organization becomes more
connected and responsive to youth in the community;
iv.Organizations place greater value on
inclusivity and representation;
v.Having youth as decision-makers
convinced other foundations and funding agencies that the organization
was serious about youth development;
vi.Organizations are more likely to reach
out to the community in diverse ways. (Zeldin 2000)
There are often many challenges associated with youth
participation which include:
i.Adults often see youth as problems
and not as resources;
ii.Lack of financial resources;
iii.Feelings of powerlessness;
iv.Youth not knowing how to get involved;
v.Lack of knowledge;
vi.Stereotypes of youth as irresponsible
or uninterested;
vii.Time restraints;
viii.Being socially conscious puts you out of
the norm. (Holland et al. 2004: 33)
Strategies to support youth participation:
i.Supportive adults who want to
facilitate youth participation;
ii.Organizations need to offer flexible
and hands-on volunteer opportunities. They also need to learn how to
connect with young people on their own terrain;
iii.Peer-based programs. (Mohammed et al.
2001: 7)
Additional research suggests that youth participation can be
fostered by the following:
i.More opportunities for engagement in
government decision-making processes;
ii.Empowering young people to participate
through the provision of information, training, and support;
iii.Seeking, valuing, and recognizing
young people's contributions;
iv.Providing adequate resources to
facilitate young people's participation;
v.Providing young people with feedback
on decision-making outcomes, and how all contributions have been taken
into account. (Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training
and Youth Affairs 2004)
If anyone is interested in any suggested reading about this let me know!
Kirsten Jordan
Online Community Partnerships Coordinator
TakingITGlobal
19 Duncan Street, Suite 505
Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3H1
Canada
Tel: +1 416.977.9363
________________________________
[1] Mohamed, I.A, Wheeler, W. (2001). Broadening the Bounds of Youth
Development: Youth as Engaged Citizens. The Ford Foundation and the
Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development. New York, NY.
(p.3)
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