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youth engagement strategy
CONTENTS 1 Our story 2 Who we are 3 What we’ve done so far 4 The landscape 4 Looking forward 5 Our Vision and what we are going to do 7 Goal 1: DISCONNECTED 8 Goal 2: INACTIVE 9 Goal 3: UNSUSTAINED 12 How we will achieve this 15 Where we work Get involved
OUR STORY WHAT DO WE KNOW? Young people are most affected by the persistent problems facing the world. We are also the developing world’s largest demographic. And yet we are frequently overlooked as being best placed to create a better future.
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE? Young people are the solution. We are the largest, most energetic group of people in the world. When we work together with a common purpose, anything is possible.
WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR? To channel the positive power of young people to bring about tangible lasting progress on the ground.
HOW DO WE DO IT? We train, empower, support and inspire a generation of young people to lead development in their countries and communities. We enable young people to make responsible choices about their health and their livelihoods. We give them the skills they need to make a positive contribution to society. We create an opportunity for young people to actively participate in decision making and driving policy. 1
to t u o s e a c he r o m t he r t n e Y; f opm l a en’t e w r v a e e d u s e q s i g s n ‘restle people in a u so the messa young to the youth, gap.’ Member. youth a generation Council th u o Y l a on Internati l o s t in teer and n lu o V t per Zy
sD , Restles an g a, 21
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WHO WE ARE
youth engagement strategy
Restless Development was founded in 1985 in the UK. Over 25 years on, we are still empowering young people to change their world. As part of our broader Global Programmes strategy, our INTERNATIONAL YOUTH ENGAGEMENT work is deeply rooted in the belief that the energy and contributions of young people here in the UK are essential to achieving our global mission.
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WHAT WE’VE DONE SO FAR
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LEADING DEVELOPMENT FOR OVER 25 YEARS OVER 8,000 INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS HAVE WORKED ALONgSIDE NATIONAL VOLUNTEERS ON THE GROUND Contributing to community-led development as full time, professional volunteers.
OVER 8,000 OF OUR INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS HAVE BECOME RESTLESS ALUMNI Each equipped with first hand development experience, able to influence those around them with our youth-led values.
10,000 YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN ACTION ON HIV IN THE UK Working in schools and universities, we have raised awareness and inspired a generation of young people to take action on one of the world’s most serious issues.
INCREASED YOUNG PEOPLE IN POLICY AND PRACTICE CHANGE DISCUSSIONS We have equipped and empowered our alumni to use their passion and experience to meaningfully contribute to high-level discussions with decision makers such as David Cameron and Melinda Gates.
POST-2015 YOUTH CONSULTATIONS UK and national volunteers and alumni are bringing the voice of young people to global conversations on what should follow on from the Millennium Development Goals after 2015.
CAMPAIGNING FOR CHANGE We have provided skills-training to 925 young activists as part of the Student Stop AIDS Campaign, enabling them to make significant contributions to major campaign successes, such as the creation of the Medicines Patent Pool and the removal of harmful provisions in the EU-India free trade agreement.
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THE LANDSCAPE YOUNG PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Young people are the largest demographic group in each of the countries we work in and are those most affected by the persistent problems facing the world. • 87% of young people in the world live in developing countries • More than 30% of 15-24 year olds in the world live on less than $2 per day • 47% of the world’s unemployed are young people • 40% of new HIV infections occur among 15-24 year olds
UNHEARD Despite their numbers, passion and experience, the voices of young people often go unheard. Young people - both in the global North and South - rarely have the opportunity to inform development policy and practice. Young people have the right to be heard.
PERCEPTIONS OF AID Young people in developing countries are facing ever-increasing challenges yet public engagement on development issues within the UK is waning. There is a need to reengage with both policy makers and the British public to ensure that we live up to our responsibilities.
OUR OPPORTUNITIES COMMITMENT TO DEVELOPMENT Despite austerity measures felt in other areas of the budget, the UK Government has reaffirmed its commitment to spend 0.7% of national income on overseas aid by the end of 2013 – and to put this pledge into law.
GLOBAL TIPPING POINT Young people have never been more prominent in the international development discourse. Governments and development agencies are beginning to recognise the significance of this demographic force and the unique skills, knowledge and energy that young people bring to development initiatives. For the first time in history we are hearing that young people should be involved in development processes – not simply because they have so much to share – but because it is their right.
youth engagement strategy
looking forward We have learned that young people in the UK can significantly contribute to development impact on the ground, and can also use those experiences to shape the attitudes and actions of those around them – both their peers and the public at large. Their proximity to key decision makers puts them in a unique position to influence development policy and practice and shape the context in which we work. We will use the coming years to define young people as leaders for positive change.
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our vision OUR MISSION IS TO PLACE YOUNG PEOPLE AT THE FOREFRONT OF CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT. to make our mission a reality, we have three big goals for our international youth engagement work:
1.DISCONNECTED Enhanced development impact on the ground achieved through the collaboration of young leaders from across the globe, working in partnership.
2.INACTIVE Improved development policy and practice in our three global goal areas (Civic Participation, Livelihoods and Employment, and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights) through the specific and meaningful participation of young people.
3.UNSUSTAINED Increased support and commitment to international development in the UK by harnessing the positive values and voices for development our alumni share.
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1.DISCONNECTED WE KNOW Young people from the UK can make a significant contribution to development impact on the ground by engaging in structured overseas placements and working alongside our young national volunteers as part of our existing programmes in Africa and Asia.
WE WILL Work as part of a consortium to deliver the British-government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) from 2012-2015. We will provide meaningful opportunities for young people from the UK to volunteer overseas on our programmes in Africa and Asia. We will... • Recruit, train and support over 1,000 volunteers from the UK to participate in overseas voluntary placements. • Implement a comprehensive training, learning and development framework to support volunteers’ personal development and their understanding of the development context. • Develop professional, youth-led programmes that respond to the development needs of the communities and rights of the young people with whom we work - adding value to national strategic priorities and making best use of the unique contributions of young people. • Implement sustainable programmes that benefit directly from the collaboration of young people from across the globe, coming together with shared passion and goals. • Capture the unique contribution made by our volunteers on the ground, learning from and sharing best practice, to provide an evidence base that will inform advocacy and programming.
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2.INACTIVE
WE KNOW Young people in the UK can be a powerful force for positive change when equipped with the right skills, knowledge and opportunities. Their energy and determination can be channeled to take action that can make a positive contribution to development policy and practice.
WE WILL Create a ground-swell of young people across the UK with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to take action – from participating in policy debate, to lobbying and campaigning. The Student Stop AIDS Campaign (SSAC) is the only grassroots network in the UK campaigning to push back HIV globally. We will continue to work alongside the broader Stop AIDS Campaign to strengthen the network’s role as a credible and effective force for ending AIDS within a generation. We will also channel the energy of young people into new youth-led advocacy efforts in the areas of Civic Participation, Livelihoods and Employment, and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. We will…
• Strengthen connections between young people in the UK and those in the Global South; ensuring action in the UK is informed by the realities, priorities and voices of young people on the ground. • Provide structured support for over 1,000 returning volunteers and a further 1,200 young people to take action on development in the UK. • Provide tangible opportunities for young people to engage with decision makers and inform policy, especially linked to the Post-2015 agenda. • Train 300 young advocates to lead the Student Stop AIDS Campaign, making a significant contribution to ending AIDS within a generation.
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3.UNSUSTAINED WE KNOW Our alumni are critically important to achieving our global ambitions and we are committed to remaining fully engaged with them. By continuing to support our alumni we can create a critical mass that will contribute to public discourse and the direction of our generation. Some may also take up influential positions in governments, civil society and the private sector, as well as in global institutions and processes, further influencing society for the better, both in the UK and internationally.
WE WILL Establish a strong, engaged and committed alumni network. Since 1985, we have worked with over 25,000 young people from the UK through our overseas placements and national fundraising and advocacy work. With our support, they will help to carry the banner for young people across the world and help us to increase commitment to international development in the UK. Specifically and by contextualising and sharing their experiences, our returned international volunteers will bring the voices of young people in the Global South to decisionmakers in the UK, ensuring the voice of young people is alive in development policy and practice. We will…
• Re-connect with over 2,000 of our alumni from the past 25+years. • Launch an online platform, linking and connecting our alumni globally. • Offer opportunities to alumni to forward their professional development, such as networking, events, career development support and scaling up our mentoring scheme that links junior alumni with senior members. • Build a network of Responsible Leaders within our alumni, equipped to make values and rights based decisions in their personal and professional lives. • Create opportunities for our alumni to share their experiences and values, contributing to perception change in the UK.
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HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH OUR VALUES
HEART:
WE ARE WHOM WE SERVE, WE ARE BRAVE
VOICE:
WE GENERATE LEADERS, WE ARE PROUD TO CARRY THE BANNER FOR YOUTH-LED DEVELOPMENT
HEAD:
WE ARE 100% PROFESSIONAL, WE PROVE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE CAN
HANDS:
WE ARE IN IT TOGETHER, WE LISTEN AND LEARN
THROUGH YOUTH PARTICIPATION As the youth-led development agency, we are deeply committed to placing young people’s voices at the heart of decision-making at all levels – from locally-led programmes in rural communities across Africa and Asia, right up to high-level decisions being made on national and international stages. Our staffing reflects our mission, with young people leading on our programme design and delivery. We recognise that young people have the right to be involved in decisions that affect them and that they are best placed to make informed decisions. We will continue to strengthen the effective and meaningful participation of young people in our programming, advocacy and governance. Our youth representatives will ensure that everything we do is not only for young people but also done with and by them.
THROUGH OUR PARTNERS We know that working collaboratively yields greater results and we are committed to listening to and learning from our partners including those in governments, civil society and the private sector.
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‘My time overseas reinforced my passion for equality and an end to discrimination. It inspired me to continue to spread the word of my experience, the people I met, and the work I did.’ Emma Jewsbury, ICS Uganda 2012
youth engagement strategy
WHERE WE WORK
POL
USA
UK
VENEZUELA
SIERRA LEONE
CROATIA
NIGERIA
COLOMBIA GHANA TOGO BRAZIL
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CON
PERU BOLIVIA
ZAMB
BOTSW
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RUSSIA
LAND
MACEDONIA
A
AZERBAIJAN
NEPAL
PAKISTAN
ROMANIA
EGYPT
BURMA LAOS
LEBANON
CAMEROON KENYA
INDIA
UGANDA
VIETNAM
BANGLADESH
RWANDA BENIN
PHILIPPINES BURUNDI
SOMALIA
NGO
BIA
WANA
INDONESIA
TANZANIA MALAWI
ZIMBABWE
AUSTRALIA
SOUTH AFRICA
NEW ZEALAND
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BE PART OF IT... BE RESTLESS We know that young people can and must lead development. If you believe in what we are doing, we want to hear from you. We need people and partners to work with us across all areas of our agency, whether on the ground, helping out with technical and financial support, or simply by spreading the word.
Address:
WEBSITE:
7 Tufton Street London SW1P 3QB UK
www.restlessdevelopment.org
Telephone: +44 (0)207 979 8070
Email:
[email protected]
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