JAMMU (KIMS) — Youth for Peace International, in collaboration with Samvada Baduku and Eqra Foundation organised a day long dialogue on ‘Youth Participation’ on 5th February 2024 in Jammu.
20 youth leaders and social workers from Jammu and Kashmir participated in this dialogue to advocate for youth rights and participation.
According to the Global Youth Development 2020 report, India stands at 55 in terms of youth political and civil participation.
For the last 20 years, the average age of Lok Sabha MPs has consistently been above 50. With young people representing the largest chunk of India’s population, MPs under the age of 29 are 0.
Recognizing this problem of limited youth participation in decision-making spaces and hence, realising the need to advocate for systems and policies which are for and by young people, Samvada, a Karnataka-based youth work organisation, is partnering with CSOs across India to conduct multiple consultative dialogues with youth leaders and youth workers.
It is to be noted that in the past, such dialogues in Karnataka resulted in the formation of a Karnataka youth manifesto and budget, the recommendations of which were adopted by a few political parties during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections.
During the consultation held in Jammu, Musaddiq, Youth & peace activist, from Kashmir expressed the need of a ‘space for acknowledging and taking into consideration innovative ideas and solutions for social change by young people’.
He also stressed upon ‘the existing grievance redressal mechanisms to be made more youth focused’ and ‘the need of new interventions for drug abuse, mental health and career counselling’.
These consultations are not just spaces for young people to talk about their experiences but also to give recommendations and propose solutions for the formation of ‘We, the Youth of India: Youth Agenda 2024’.
Since the next general elections will take place in April-May 2024, the organisers hope to consolidate the Youth Agenda document by February 2024. Dissemination and lobbying with stakeholders is planned for March – April 2024. — (KIMS)