Youth Self-determination in the Face of Rising Populism
As I write this, the election results are streaming in live and I can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu. Even though the political players are more or less the same, there has been a wave that is evident in the results. A hunger for change and a wave of young people stepping up to the plate to take responsibility for the future they want. In a few days, I will be at UNLEASH innovation lab in Denmark with over 1000 young people experiencing a process I have come to equate to projecting youth empowerment and self-determination into the future. I am familiar with process, exposure and the resulting drive that these rocket-ship events create — from national initiatives in Nairobi, Kenya, which I have been a part of.
This year, at UNLEASH Lab, I am excited to be part of the delegation from Kenya and Africa, and to be in the Health track. Health is the 3rd SDG and one that I have been engaging with since way before SDGs were front and center on the global stage. My contribution has been in reproductive health, having worked with behavior change and health empowerment among adolescents — through policy advocacy at national and regional levels.
I have come to appreciate the beauty of process. Several years ago (2010–2011), I was part of a scenario building exercise courtesy of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA Kenya). The process itself was mind blowing, the level of exposure to everything development was unlike any I had ever experienced before. Exposure is what your guidance counselor tells you to lap up when you are at the precipice of leaving formal education and jumping out into the real world. And that I did, at every chance I got. I met with incredible young people in Nairobi and together, we projected four national scenarios for our region (Nairobi) and with a select few, the national Kenya Youth Scenarios (KEYS). It was launched with pomp and color at Hilton, just before the last elections in 2012.
I was actually surprised that a group of young candidates with little experience, were entrusted with this process. All that was needed was the hunger and thirst for knowledge and the conversion power that our collective minds and creativity could muster. A seed was sown then, to worry about the development of our country in a holistic way and to do my little bit to make Kenya better.
For the national scenarios, we lined the priorities that would affect our country until 2030 and demography and governance emerged tops as variables with the highest impact and highest uncertainty. It is easy to understand why; for governance, politics is one of the axis’ that our country spins on and the current season underpins this for me. Demographics are our lived realities, it starts with pre-conception, to adolescence all the way to youth and the cycle continues. Issues in this continuum include contraception, prenatal and antenatal care, child nutrition, education, comprehensive empowerment, life skills and employability and the cycle continues. Simply put, the wealth of a nation is in the health of its people.
I see the need for self determination at my work in dance4life, whose model is based on experiential learning and harnessing the creativity of young people for learning. One of the core mantras for dance4life is involvement of young people but with a revelation, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” There’s so much I can say about it, but it would be better if I let you see for yourself. I believe sustainability comes from true ownership of the change desired by the intended audience, and I am excited to see what the next 2 weeks hold.
Sustainability is at the heart and definition of the SDGs. The global trend has been declining funding in the development world and a significant push for domestic solutions. There are quite a few out here, I have been privy to innovative models such as social franchising and co-creation with localized partners through working with dance4life, harnessing multi-faceted experiences through AfriYAN (Adolescents and Youth Network on Population and Development) and youth led advocacy through the Youth Advisory Panel to UNFPA. I am looking forward to engaging with great global minds to finding sustainable solutions that are innovative and change the trajectory and contribute to a different world come 2030.
