Mechanisms for trust-building and empowering youth to participate in urban decision making for increased safety and well-being of young people.
November 5, 2024 | 11:00 - 12:30
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Summary
Amidst rapid population growth and urbanisation, young people in cities are particularly vulnerable to unsafe and insecure environments – often experiencing injuries and interpersonal violence resulting from lack of safe transportation, poor living and working conditions, lack of access to services, and inadequate infrastructure (WHO, 2021). Young people’s ongoing vulnerability and insecurity in urban environments stems from their inability to influence or alter their surroundings and their exclusion from decision-making processes (Audrey, Batista-Ferrer, 2015). Decision-making power tends to rest disproportionately with older generations who do not meaningfully account for the realities and needs of younger generations. As young people inherit some of the largest challenges in history, their participation in urban decision-making is required to drive safe and resilient cities that promote the wellbeing of generations to come.
This Voices from Cities panel discussion will convene youth leaders and urban development practitioners from the Philippines, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bangladesh to showcase successful approaches to institutionalizing youth engagement in urban decision-making. The session will highlight how different contexts benefit from different approaches to systems change. For instance, in Bangladesh, formal mechanisms like youth councils have proven effective, while participants from Colombia, Ecuador and the Philippines will speak to trust-building and relationship-based engagement, as well as formal mechanisms, as being critical to young peoples’ empowered engagement with local government actors. The event will showcase how these approaches can complement each other in fostering meaningful youth participation in urban decision-making and ultimately creating safer cities for young people.
Through a series of panel discussions and interactive dialogues, participants will explore how trust-building between youth and local authorities and formal systems of engagement have transformed urban development in various global contexts. This event aims to inspire urban leaders and practitioners by demonstrating diverse strategies for integrating youth voices into urban governance, ultimately contributing to safer, more inclusive, and resilient cities.
Objectives
Objective 1: share effective strategies for building trust between young people and local government and other urban stakeholders, and strategies for institutionalizing meaningful youth engagement. Panelists will cite concrete examples which have laid the groundwork for them to play a more active and meaningful role in decision-making processes and contribute to positive advancements in urban development and community wellbeing.
Objective 2: spark conversations between young people and municipal actors in the audience that will be encouraged to continue outside of this event, and beyond WUF, opening opportunities for advocacy, alliances, and learning.
Objective 3: showcase how youth worldwide face similar challenges related to safety and meaningful participation in decision-making, fostering South-South learning and a proactive sense of solidarity among participants, inspiring others to act in their own communities.
Objective 4: Share best practices and innovative approaches for effectively engaging youth in urban development initiatives. Attendees from diverse backgrounds, including public sector actors, private sector representatives, academics, grassroots activists, and philanthropists, will be equipped with actionable insights for integrating trust-building practices with young people into their urban engagements.