Action Research on Current Initiatives: Lessons Learnt and Potential Best Practices in the Field of Youth and Local Self-Governance (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Bangladesh)

Objectives:

1. To collect and collate information and critically re-examine current youth programme initiatives, their relevance and utility in the context of youth engagement in local self-governance.
2. To identify best practices in different areas of youth participation in local self-governance and encourage learning from action and reflection to initiate new action and its replication.
3. To obtain feedback on youth perceptions about various developmental programmes and governance, and the type of programmes they themselves want to plan and participate in at the local level.
4. To identify the gender dimension in respect of participation of youth at the local level.
5. To identify gaps in current policies/programmes/schemes on the basis of literature review and field visits, and put forth suggestions/recommendations to address the issue of youth and local self-governance on the basis of these findings.

Geographical Spread:

Key areas/components:

• The study entailed participatory action research (qualitative in nature) with detailed exploration of young people’s engagement in local self-governance and their perceptions of local government and politics.
• Both primary and secondary data were generated to critically examine the current policies, programmes, initiatives, actions and best practices. Cases of best practice were identified on the basis of secondary information, field visits and dialogue with stakeholders. Mapping of primary and secondary data was undertaken. In the mapping exercise, schemes/programmes and other measures were analysed. Analysis was followed by field visits to gauge the reality and then suggestions/recommendations have been made.

Key outputs:

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