Youth Participation: The Key to Community Resilience

Youth participation is an essential factor in the creation of a resilient community. This is because youth are often the most directly affected by their challenges. 

They have an extensive future, making them uniquely equipped to take action and drive change. Their energy and enthusiasm also mean that youth can be highly effective at driving change and impacting their communities. A resilient community can withstand stressors, adapt, and recover from difficulties or shocks such as natural disasters, epidemics, economic crises or social upheaval. 

Resilience is built on a combination of factors, including social capital and community networks; adequate housing; access to services such as education and healthcare; good jobs with fair wages; affordable food; safe places for youth to play and grow up in; inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome; environmental sustainability; trust among people; cultural identity and traditions; equality of opportunity to pursue personal interests or vocations — all of which are driven by active youth participation in local decision-making processes.

A Model of Community Resilience (Paton, 2010)

What does resilient youth participation look like?

Resilient youth participation means that youth are actively engaged in creating the change they wish to see in their communities. This can take many forms, but all of them require that youth are given a platform to contribute and be heard. Youth are often the most affected by the issues in their communities and have a unique perspective or “view from the ground” that can reveal aspects of a situation that others may not see. To work towards making a difference, youth need to be empowered and given the tools, education, and support that they need to engage in the decision-making process actively. We can achieve this through various programs and initiatives, including those that engage youth in governance, leadership, and civic engagement. 

Youth are also essential allies in any efforts to improve community resilience. Resilient youth are empowered and feel confident in their abilities to contribute to the well-being of their communities and the people in them. Resilient youth are also optimistic about their future and feel sure that they will be able to overcome future hardships and adversities.

Promoting Youth Empowerment and Participation

To engage youth in these issues and encourage youth empowerment, it is crucial to work with youth, not just for youth. This means that the people leading or organising these initiatives are youth and adult partners working together towards a common goal. Adult partners can be parents, teachers, or community members interested in improving the situation of youth. Partners can help provide support, resources, connections, and mentorship that youth may need to engage in these processes actively. Partners can also help to provide a bridge between youth and decision-makers, making sure that youth voices are heard and that they have a platform to engage in the decision-making processes actively. Partners can also help ensure that youth are empowered and feel secure enough to voice their opinions and actively engage in these processes.

Building Strong Community Networks

To build strong networks within a community and empower youth, it is vital to understand who they are in that community. We can achieve this through surveys or focus groups with youth and other members of the community. It can also be helpful to engage youth in mapping the connections within their communities and the factors that either promote or hinder youth participation and inclusion. Once you have this information, it can help create networks that bring youth together and encourage positive connections. This can take the form of regular meetings or activities, such as sports teams or clubs, where youth can meet and learn from one another. Youth networks can also help promote youth leadership, mentorship, and skill-sharing.

Ensuring Equitable Access to Services

To ensure equitable access to services critical to a community's resilience, it is essential first to understand what youth need to thrive. This can be achieved through focus groups, surveys, and interviews with youth to determine their needs and challenges in specific areas. Once you understand these needs, you must consider how to meet them. This can take various forms, including building partnerships with organisations that already provide these services and can help expand their reach. It can also help convene youth forums, roundtables, and other spaces, e.g. a Makerspace, where youth can meet and discuss the challenges they face and the solutions they have come up with. They can be a superpower in connecting and supporting other people within the community.

It can also be helpful to create youth councils or committees that give youth a voice in the decision-making processes within their communities and have a say in how resources are allocated.

Developing Platforms for Collaboration and Communication

To develop platforms for collaboration and communication between youth, it is helpful to think about what problems need to be solved in a community and what skills youth have that might be useful. Makerspace can be a community hub for training the youth and empowering them to support others. This can effectively bring youth together, as it is focused on solving real problems, which can motivate youth to get involved. It can also be helpful to provide mentorship and support to youth who want to get involved, as youth often feel unsure of how to get started. 

Another way to bring youth together is to create communication channels, such as a website, blog, or online platform where youth can communicate with one another and share ideas, projects, and information. This can also be an excellent way to reach out to youth who may not be actively looking for a way to get involved.

Conclusion

Youth are an essential and valuable part of any community. They often have unique insights and skills that can help address challenges and solve problems within their communities. Their participation and engagement are, therefore, keys to strengthening community resilience. This can be achieved through empowerment and mentorship, providing platforms for collaboration and communication, creating networks and connections, and building strong community networks that promote positive relations between youth and other community members.