It’s not uncommon to hear governments, the United Nations and NGOs talk about the need to “empower the youth” and put them at the centre of development thinking, but how much power over decision making in these bodies do young activists really have?
To some, it will still feel like much of the talk about engaging young people is tokenistic, rather than a real strategy for achieving strong development outcomes in challenging places.
Yet as the UK’s Department for International Development’s youth agenda points out, more than 600 million young people live in fragile or conflict afflicted areas. Of those affected by the Syria crisis, for example, at least 25% are aged 10-24. Globally, young people represent a large, often idealistic, group that if fully mobilised could accelerate the pace of development dramatically.
In many places young people are already making a difference - from fighting FGM to climate change, from BlackLivesMatter to RhodesMustFall, from volunteering their services in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake to being part of Sierra Leone’s Ebola response team. As the next generation of entrepreneurs and tech innovators, they will also be key to driving economic growth in their countries.
So, ahead of International Youth Day on Friday 12 August, we want to hear young people’s thoughts on how development leaders can better leverage their skills and passion to have more impact. What role can you play in fighting corruption and improving stability and security in your country? What does success look like when you’re fighting inequality? And what type of support would you like to see from the development establishment and politicians to achieve your aims?
Join us on Thursday 11 August 1-2.30pm BST to discuss.
Panel to be confirmed.
The live chat is not video or audio-enabled but will take place in the comments section (below). Get in touch via globaldevpros@theguardian.com or @GuardianGDP on Twitter to recommend someone for our expert panel. Follow the discussion using the hashtag #globaldevlive.
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