Title: Organizing a Local Youth Platform
Introduction
Local Youth Platforms and Local Youth Summits provide
a framework and step by step model for young people to gather, combine their
issues and ideas, and develop action projects based on their solutions for
improving their local communities.
In 1996, the Foundation of America created the first
National Youth Conventions in the United States to create greater recognition
for the voices and ideas of American youth. Youth delegates gathered thousands
of responses to surveys and shaped a historical National Youth Platform and
presented it to mayors, governors, senators, and presidential candidates. The
youth platform contained the issues most important to American youth as well as
their solutions for improving the country.
The Local Youth Platforms project seeks to use this
model to provide a framework for young people in local areas to gather
together, hold Local Youth Summits, discuss their concerns/issues, develop
solutions, write Local Youth Platforms, create action plans for community
service/improvement projects, and motivate local governments and community
leaders to create permanent structures for youth participation in
decision-making.
Mission
The mission of the Local Youth Platforms project is to
elevate the solutions of young people, motivate action, and establish permanent
structures for youth participation in decision-making.
The Program
The following step-by-step guidelines below provide an
overview for developing and facilitating an effective and action-oriented Local
Youth Platform and Local Youth Summit. Summits can be small or large group
gatherings. We recommend that a maximum of 300 youth delegates participate. If
more young people are interested, you may choose to hold more than one Local
Youth Summit on your campus.
STEP-BY-STEP
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Create a Summit Action Team
Any voice can activate a summit! Interested young
people should contact young leaders in their community, non-governmental
organizations, academic institutions, and government officials.
You will need a minimum of 7 youth and adult allies (with
the youth serving as the majority) working cooperatively to form the core of
your Summit Action Team. Summit Action Team members will be responsible for
securing a summit location, coordinating the summit with appropriate officials,
recruiting youth delegates, and helping to facilitate (see the "Art of
Facilitation") your Local Youth Summit.
Step 2: Select a Date
While summits can occur at any time throughout the year,
we recommend that you host
your summit in the months leading up to political elections in your
countries/municipalities etc.
Step 3: Recruit Summit Delegates and Invite Local
Government Observers
Invite youth delegates to participate on the day of
your Local Youth Summit. Use community bulletins or city-wide publications and
Intranet Directories to inform all young people as possible of their
opportunities to become summit delegates. We recommend that you recruit 30-60
days ahead of schedule to determine the number of delegates who may wish to
participate in your summit.
Team up with local academic institutions and youth
organizations to formally invite local government leaders to come participate
in the Local Youth Summit as observers.
(You may consider forming a Youth Engagement Alliance to facilitate this
process – see other documentation in the Global Youth ACTION Network library.)
Step 4: Select a Site
Choose a location that can accommodate the number of
delegates who signed up for your Summit. We recommend that you include enough
space to accommodate an additional 20% of potential delegates who may wish to
join as your summit date nears. Coordinate possible Summit sites with your community
leaders and government institutions. If there is a problem using an summit site, you may wish to use an alternative location
that is in close proximity to your city center.
SUMMIT MODEL
The following model is based upon the consensus and
facilitation processes developed by the USA National Youth Conventions. The
model is designed to combine the top issues of youth, develop solutions based
on the young peoples’ vision of an improved future, write a Local Youth
Platform, and encourage actions and projects to turn the ideas and solutions
into reality. A minimum of 3 ½ hours is needed, however, a 7-hour summit will
give better time for young people to fully engage in the summit processes. The
times reflected in parentheses provide the framework for shorter or longer
segments of your Local Youth Summit.
Check List: What you will need:
Summit venue to accommodate up to 300 youth
delegates
A 7-person (minimum) Summit Action Team
(includes facilitators)
Podium and microphone, extra copies of LYS
guidelines
Large display area (4’ x 10’ or larger)
covered by butcher paper and sticky (spray can) glue
One pen or pencil and 8 x 10" card or
piece of paper per delegate
Four 11x14" cards per small group
(5-10 young people per small group)
Preparations
The Summit Action Team should be positioned at the
front of your Local Youth Summit. The lead facilitator or spokesperson should
be at the podium to call the summit to order. As the call to order is taking
place (or alternatively, as youth delegates are arriving) each young person
should be issued one 8x10 card, a pencil or pen, and a number from 1 to 30 (300
divided by 10). You will now have each person ready to break into 30 small
groups of 10 people each. If there are fewer total participants, you may choose
to separate into smaller groups.
1. Call the Summit to Order (10 to 20 minutes)
The lead facilitator or spokesperson should ask for
all delegates to be seated and call the summit to order. Components of this
could include the national anthem, a song, poem, or inspirational reading,
introduction of the Summit Action Team, an explanation of the purpose and
mission of the Summits (and how the solutions and projects that youth initiate
will be shared with youth and national leaders) and recognition and a thank you
for the participating delegates and city officials. Please let the delegates know
that the issues and solutions that result from their summit will be used to in
an effort to create Local Youth Platforms and even a National Youth Platform in
order to influence decision-making processes.
2. Determine individual issues/concerns (10 minutes)
The lead facilitator should inform the delegates to
use their 8x10 cards and take 10 minutes to write down 5-10 word summaries of
their top three concerns/issues for their community.
3. Small Group Discussion (10 to 20 minutes)
After people complete their cards, they should separate
into small groups by reporting to a pre-designated area according to their
respective group numbers. Remember, each small group should have 10 young
people. To speed up this process, the Summit Action Team may want to visually
post the numbers of each group on walls so that they can meet at a
pre-designated location somewhere within the large summit venue. Following the
example of 300 youth attending your summit, you should have 30 areas, 1 for
every 10-person small
group team.
4. Achieve Small Group Consensus (30 to 60 minutes)
Have each small group choose a leader. Small group
leaders should explain that the purpose of their small group is to combine
youth issues/concerns and determine the top three, according to their small
group (see below). A Summit Action Team facilitator should work with each small
group leader to review the process for achieving consensus using Fist to Five
(see Achieving Consensus Via Fist to Five at the end
of this document) and discuss ground rules (i.e. be respectful, give everyone a
chance to speak, etc.) for the group.
Each person should read aloud their 5-10 word
summaries of their top three issues/concerns. Simultaneously, the group leader,
or another designated group member, should write each issue/concern on one or
two pages of 8x10 paper. As the list is completed,
delegates should note how many of their issues/concerns are similar.
Next, the issues/concerns should be grouped into
categories (i.e. rain forest depletion, ozone damage, pollution, could all be
grouped as an environmental concern/issue). Those categories that have the most
responses will be the top three issues/concerns of the group. If there are
disagreements on the categories and issues, achieve consensus using
Fist-to-Five.
Write down the three 5-10 word issue summaries in
large bold letters on three 11x14 cards. Turn in the summary cards to the
Summit Action Team.
5. Starting the Local Youth Platform by determining
the top issues/concerns of your community (30 to 60 minutes)
Youth members of the Summit Action Team, using spray
glue and butcher paper, should quickly attach all 11x14 cards and group the
issues to areas of similar concern on a large display area/board. The lead
facilitator should direct everyone’s attention to the display areas that show
their combined issue/concern cards.
The facilitator should ask for the people’s agreement
or suggest changes to the grouping of the youth issues/concern areas. Once the
cards have been examined to the satisfaction of the delegates, ask them to name
each category.
The top issues/concerns of the community will be those
that have the most 11x14 small group cards. Identify, agree, and write down the
top ten issues/concerns of your community.
These top 10 issues make up the first half of the
Local Youth Platform. The activities of
the afternoon will make up the second half – the Solutions.
The lead facilitator should type the top 10 issues
into a computer in order of priority.
The most common issue should be priority 1 etc.
6. Break and/or Lunch (30 to 60 minutes)
Announce that there will be a break or a lunch
(depending on the chosen length of your summit). During this time, ask the
delegates to envision a future where their issues/concerns are better addressed.
Imagine it is the year 2020. How does this new future look? What is the role of
youth in determining this new and improved future?
The Summit Action Team should discuss the event with
city officials and government representatives that are attending as
observers. What do they think of the
process? Does it change the way they
regard young people? Are they resources
or liabilities?
7. Focus on Vision (15 to 30 minutes)
Have 10 to 20 delegates speak out about their vision
for a better future and their vision for youth activism in creating that
future. Have these, and/or other delegates, discuss
how the top issues/concerns of the community must be addressed to fulfill their
collective visions.
8. Conclude the Local Youth Platform by focusing on Youth
Solutions (30 to 60 minutes)
Quickly reassemble into the previously designated
small groups. Using consensus, have each group choose one of the top
issues/concerns of the community and brainstorm possible solutions they can
apply to achieve their visions of an improved future. The outcome of their
discussions should be a short (25 words or less) Solution Summary Statement
(written in large, bold letters on one 11x14 card). If time permits, delegates
may wish to submit additional solution statements for other top community
issues they developed in their earlier small group discussions. Remember to use
consensus to achieve the group Solution Summary Statement.
9. Focus on Turning Solutions into Actions (15 to 30
minutes)
Have each small group leader proceed to the podium and
read one Solution Summary Statement to the entire delegation (after reading
their statements, group leaders should post their solutions on the display
board and remain in place). The lead facilitator should ask the delegates to
consider which solution they want to act on. After all solutions are posted,
conduct a large group discussion to brainstorm possible youth service/community
improvement projects that could implement the solutions. Remember to address
how these solutions directly apply to the top issues/concerns of your community.
The lead facilitator should
type all of the Solution Summary Statements into a computer in the same
document as the top ten issues. The top
10 issues in combination with the Solution Summary Statements of each issue
make up the Local Youth Platform. This
document can be used as both a mandate for local/national government as well as
an action guide for your local community of young people because it was
developed democratically.
Report your Local Youth Platform to the Global Youth
Platform by sending email to gyan@youthlink.org To read about the
Global Youth Platform go to http://www.takingitglobal.org/voice
If there is a process already underway to build a
National Youth Platform in your country then also deliver your Local Platform
to the organizers of the National Platform.
To learn if there is a national platform in your country go to http://connect.takingitglobal.org
and click on your country.
10. Form Youth Action Teams (15 to 30 minutes)
Have the lead facilitator ask for people to raise
their hands in order to see how many people are willing to commit to take
action on their solutions for improving their communities and their countries. Ask
these people join the small group leader whose Solution Summary Statement best
matches their area of interest for developing a project and action plan to
implement solutions. If there are any remaining delegates, have them form a
group (or groups) to discuss other ideas and solutions that they are interested
in helping to implement (the Summit Action Team should count the total number
of participants and the number of action teams that develop for your Summit
Results Form).
11. Create Youth Action Projects (20 to 40 minutes)
Have each new solution group sit down and discuss
concrete ways to implement their solution. They will need to:
Re-read their group’s Solution Summary Statement.
Create ground rules for discussion and
consensus building.
Brainstorm possible projects to implement
their solution. Choose the best project(s).
Create a Youth Action Team mission
statement for their chosen project(s).
Set short-term and long-term goals and a
project timeline.
Brainstorm a list of project needs (time,
money, educational resources, public relations, transportation, etc.).
Brainstorm potential youth roles and
responsibilities to match the list of needs.
Choose a time and a location for a
follow-up Youth Action Team meeting.
Create a contact list of phone numbers and
emails to be shared the whole team
Report your Youth Action Team project idea, goals, and
timeline to the Summit Action Team.
12. Talk with City Officials or Local Government
Observers (15 to 30 minutes)
Read the Local Youth
Platform to the audience and invite the city officials or local government
representatives to respond. Create an
opportunity for questions and answers.
The Summit Action Team should publicly ask: What structures does the
government have in place to work with youth?
What channels exist for youth participation in local
decision-making? What programs exist to
respond to youth needs and priorities?
How can youth, as citizens, impact government function and structure? How can the Local Youth Platform be put into
practice in partnership between youth and the government?
13. Closing Remarks (5 to 10 minutes)
The lead facilitator or spokesperson should thank all
the delegates for their participation and the Youth Action Teams for their
commitment to implement their solutions. You may want to post the progress of
each action team in your community publications and local Internet directories.
You may want to create and direct people to a post summit social gathering to
allow further dialogue and brainstorming. Finally, thank and acknowledge the
Summit Action Team and the hosting institution for creating a successful event to
elevate the voices, ideas, and solutions of youth!
14. Reporting Your Results
Please complete your Local Youth Summit Results Form
(below) so that we can share your issues and solutions other youth and leaders
around the world. The top issues of your community will be used to help shape a
National Youth Platform in your country and the Global Youth Platform of all
youth in the world.
After your summit, the Summit Action Team should
follow up with all Youth Action Team leaders to report on the fulfillment of
their project goals and mission.
15. Creating
a Permanent Structure
There are many obstacles that limit the amount of positive
youth action to improve communities. Two
of the chief obstacles are 1) inadequate public recognition and meaning given
to positive youth solutions and actions, and 2) inadequate funding allocated to
support youth organizing.
To improve recognition of youth it is important to
work with media and public authorities.
To improve the amount of funding allocated to support
youth organizing it is important to work with the government. In most countries around the world the primary
sources of youth funding are individual donors, private donors (foundations and
corporations) and the government. The
only permanent channel of funding is the government. To create permanent change therefore it is
necessary to make changes in policies of the government.
The Local Youth Platform and Local Youth Summits are
very powerful ways of showing government officials why and how to work with
young people. The events can also be
modified to provide a space for young leaders to dialogue extensively, directly
with government officials and hold them responsible.
There are many strategies for making policy changes in
the government. In democratic countries
it is important to work with elected officials to develop youth policies and
create space in the government for youth to participate in the decision-making
process. More than 90 countries already
have official channels for youth participation in the form of National Youth
Councils (for more information check http://www.worldassemblyofyouth.org).
In non-democratic countries it is
important to work through personal connections, religious groups,
demonstrations, and other unofficial channels to influence government
decision-making.
For more information on creating youth policies check
out the website of the International Council on National Youth Policies, http://www.icnyp.org, where you can find information that
will help you create National Policy as well as Local Policies. It is often easiest to have impact by working
with local government first.
Conclusions
Successfully organizing a Local Youth Platform and
Local Youth Summit requires a lot of time, energy, and resources. They will be significantly more successful if
they are developed in partnership with other projects listed in the Global
Youth ACTION Network library such the: Local Calendar of Youth Resources,
Inform Monthly Local Gatherings for Young Activists and Allies, local youth
collaboration gatherings, and Local Youth Websites.
THE ART OF
FACILITATION
Besides organizing your Local Youth Summit, the Summit
Action Team has an important role to play in facilitating your event.
The "Art of Facilitation" requires that
facilitators should be thoroughly familiar with the summit process, the Fist to
Five consensus process (see below), be good public speakers, but, ultimately,
be good public listeners to work with the youth delegates in small and large
group settings.
How many facilitators do you need?
A minimum of 7 facilitators is required for your LYS
so the 7-person Summit Action Team can fulfill these roles. You may want to
bring aboard some adult allies and/or others who have facilitation and public
speaking skills. Use one facilitator per 5 small groups (a total of six for the
three hundred person maximum) and one lead facilitator to guide the summit
process.
What do facilitators do?
The key role of facilitators is to monitor and to
encourage – without influencing – the full array of youth delegates.
Facilitators must remain neutral (i.e. their own ideas and opinions cannot be
integrated into the group) while encouraging continual forward movement and
consensus toward achieving specific results (without dictating what those
results will look like). They should work to develop ground rules for
discussion and make sure that all youth opinions and ideas are being integrated
into the small group summit processes. Facilitators should be aware of the
chosen times per summit segment and help small groups to stay on task and
achieve results during their issue and solution consensus sessions.
What is the role of the lead facilitator?
The lead facilitator should be a good organizer and a
strong public speaker. He or she is responsible for introducing the summit
goals and process, calling the summit to order (perhaps in partnership with
local government officials), maintaining the overall time segments of the LYS,
receiving feedback from the small group facilitators, and reporting key
findings to the youth delegates as a whole.
The lead facilitator is also responsible for overseeing the grouping
process of the delegate concerns/issues.
Fist-to-Five:
Combing Your Team's Ideas and Building Consensus
When a group comes to consensus on a matter, it means
that everyone in the group can support the decision; they don’t all have to
think it’s the best decision, but they all agree they can live with it.
Whenever a group is discussing a possible solution or coming to a decision on
any matter, Fist-to-Five is a good tool to determine what each person’s opinion
is at any given time.
To use this technique the Team Leader restates a
decision the group may make and asks everyone to show their level of support.
Each person responds by showing a fist or a number of fingers that corresponds
to their opinion.
Interpretation:
A Fist = A no vote - a way to block consensus. "I
need to talk more about the proposal and I require changes for it to
pass."
1 Finger = I still need to discuss certain issues and
suggest changes that should be made.
2 Fingers = I am more comfortable with the proposal
but would like to discuss some minor issues.
3 Fingers = I’m not in total agreement but feel
comfortable to let this decision or a proposal pass without further discussion.
4 Fingers = I think it’s a good idea/decision and will
work for it.
5 Fingers = It’s a great idea and I will be one of the
leaders in implementing it.
If anyone holds up fewer than three fingers, they
should be given the opportunity to state their objections and the team should
address their concerns. Teams continue the Fist-to-Five process until they
achieve consensus (a minimum of three fingers or higher) or determine they must
move on to the next issue.
LOCAL YOUTH SUMMIT
RESULTS FORM
Please complete the following so that we can share the
issues/concerns and solutions of youth in your community with other youth and
leaders around the world.
A. Include your Local Youth Platform in this document
or as another attached file. In it name
the top 10 youth issues of your community and include the 25 word Solution
Summary Statements for each issue named.
B. How many delegates participated in your LYS?
_______________________
C. How many people joined Youth Action Teams? _______________________
D. How many Youth Action Teams were formed? _______________________
E. Will you organize another Local Youth Summit? ______________________
F. How can we improve the Local Youth Summit model?
__________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Name of Youth Action Team (Core Group) Leader
_______________________________________________________
Print Name Here
_________________________________________
LYS Date:
_________________________________________
LYS organizing partners, allies, and contact
information:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Complete and email to gyan@youthlink.org