How can you effectively engage youth in community organizing across cultures?

When working with youth from diverse backgrounds, the most important thing is to listen and foster dialogue. Too often, youth are left out of decision making spaces and their voices are needed to ensure effective organizing and programming. I have seen youth from varied backgrounds discover commonalities and reach consensus using this approach. We just need to listen and be a resource.

I notice the wording “across cultures”. So often cultural differences are seen as barriers versus beautiful outlets to engage in one’s creation-story. Listening across cultures would be the first step. Accepting and celebrating cultural differences while aiming to create new cultural norms together through community building. The beautiful relationships that could develop when you sit and listen to one’s story is endless!

Building trust and fostering peaceful relationships with youth participants requires being authentic and respectful of their culture, religion and beliefs. According to our alumni, the reason for their continued involvement after the training is because they share a belief with us, and because they feel respected and free of judgment. Giving them spaces to contribute to a wider community is also very helpful.

Building relationships with the youth and the respective communities is crucial. You have to give the youth a chance to work in the community.

Youths needed to be engaged as partners in decision making,what I have noticed is that youth are included for show and to meet a quota but their decisions and autonomy is not always respected nor taken to account. If the youth lack the capacity to be seen as partners in decision making then that capacity must be built so that youth feel a sense of ownership in development and collaborative efforts done by governments or non government bodies

I recently attended a youth conference on adolescent Sexual reproductive health at the 4th RAHI,I was happy to see youths with disabilities being fully included in the programming.For example they had a team of interpreters to help deaf youths contribute and participate fully throughout the conference.Often inclusion of youths with disabilities is often a second thought and I would highly encourage everyone working with youth to take more intentional actions to ensure that youths with various disabilities can fully participate and share knowledge in all spaces

I have found that including mental health care and support in programming and workshops for youths is a necessity which can not be overlooked.This can look like providing a trusted person youths can approach if experiencing any form of sexual abuse,harassment or exploitation and bullying for example.Using secure forms in which youth can anonymous make reports or bring up sensitive and often hard to vocalise issues affecting their mental wellbeing goes a long way in helping youth fully and meanfully participate as well as have safe guarding

Coaching and training are critical in leadership development. Never assume we know what the youths need or want. Spend some time to understand what motivates the youths to act (interest and values), and their vision. Then, find a way to accomodate their motivation and vision. Not always, but youth often seek practical or professional experience that could help them in their future career. Be relentless in asking questions, listening, and motivating them. Anyone will be able to grow into leadership role when they are given the trust and necessary resources. I often ask these questions, the answers are not always explicit: 1. What are their goals? 2. What haven't they reached that goal? 3. What do they need/want to achieve their goals?

I thing I have noticed is that often attempts to motivate youths can end up having a negative effect when done without prior consideration and empathy.While it is all good to fire up dreams in youth,starting off by antagonising them because of perception held about youth without getting to know them can result in youth being present in the room but not in the discussion. Being condescending to youths and projecting frustration based on self imposed expectations can burn the bridge to building long meaningful connections and trust as well as damage the respect youth hold towards those that engage them.Talk to youths respectful and be considerate of different socio economic barriers they face in access to opportunities while encouraging them