Beyond formal political and electoral
processes and structures there are a number of ways young people can be
actively involved in decision-making processes and institutions that affect
their environment and their lives within it. These include structures that
enable youth to provide inputs and influence policy-making processes and structures
that enable youth to learn about policy-making processes, such as:
- national youth councils
- youth parliaments (local, national, regional,
international)
- local processes that feed into policy-making
processes (e.g. youth mayors)
- forums (local, national, regional,
international)
- peace processes (in post-conflict contexts)
- participatory or structured social dialogues and
youth observatories
- participatory planning (e.g. budgeting and
budget advocacy), monitoring (e.g. social audits, community score cards, and
other citizens’ oversight mechanisms) and research
- youth consultations and panels
- youth juries, mock trials
- opinion polls, online surveys/consultations, and
petitions
- civil society organizations.
Opportunities for youth to participate in political
processes depend largely on the political and cultural context. A democratic
environment can be more favorable to participation in general. For the most
part, promoting youth participation needs to be geared towards achieving levels
relative to those of the rest of the population.
Example: In Ukraine, a young activist
mobilized young people in her community to open a youth radio station.
Co-funded by local government and USAID’s DOBRE program, it works to increase
the involvement of local residents and civil society organizations in local
government decision-making, while holding local officials accountable through
monitoring and oversight – the youth radio station had its first live broadcast
in March 2018. Allowing local voices, including those of young activists, to be
heard, the radio station helps young people participate in civic journalism.[i]
