Youth researchers present findings from their national project: “Youth-Centric Policy Design for Peace, Citizen Safety and Security” which investigated factors that have an impact on the participation of youth in policy formation in relation to citizen safety and security. This was done at the closing ceremony of the UNDP “Amplifying Youth Voices in Action” held on March 16, 2022 in Kingston, Jamaica.

Kingston, April 26, 2022

Initiatives that are led by young people can be a lever to sustainable citizen safety and security. This was the overall finding at the completion of the UNDP’s “Amplifying Youth Voice & Action to address Citizen Security & Safety” project close-out ceremony, held on March 16, 2022.
The project, which started in 2020, enabled the implementation of 10 microprojects that were initiated and implemented by youth. Each of the 10 young entrepreneurs was provided with funding of US$10 000 to execute the project.
To prepare the entrepreneurs for best outcomes, the project also included guidance from the UNESCO Youth as Researchers (YAR) programme. Three research teams of young people investigated the role and effectiveness of civil society groups, and the role of youth in these groups. They concluded that civil society groups can and do effectively connect communities to national interests. Furthermore, in these groups, young people are key stakeholders who can be valuable in decision making and should not be included for the sake of appearances.
It began with a call to young people for implementable ideas that address citizen security and safety. The individuals gained support to prepare their projects for implementation, the projects were then implemented in communities. READ MORE