Glossary
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Adultism |
“[B]ehaviors and attitudes based on the assumptions that adults are better than young people, and entitled to act upon young people without agreement"[1] The relevance to youth and DRG programming is that there is consensus that adults not only need to be sensitized about the democratic value and strategic importance of youth participation, but they also need to learn to work with youth in a manner that promotes, to the extent appropriate, positive contributions and participation from youth.
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Civic Attitude |
Civic attitude is defined as a citizen’s attitudes or reflections upon the government structure and on the types of relationships citizens should have with government. Often centered around perceptions of legitimacy and corruption, civic attitude can also be a measure of how engaged citizens are willing to be at a local, regional, or national level.
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Civic Education |
Any educational initiative that purposefully seeks to inculcate or promote the knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, and/or behaviors desired of citizens.
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Civic Engagement/ Participation |
“Civic engagement” and “civic participation” are used interchangeably in this Guide. They are defined as individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. They can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. They can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy. Specific activities include working in a soup kitchen, serving on a neighborhood association, writing a letter to an elected official, and voting.[2]
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Civic Knowledge |
The basic knowledge or awareness of legal rights and representations under the law. This can include knowledge of voting dates, political parties, candidates, human rights norms, and legal responsibilities under a country’s constitution and governance practices.
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Civic Skills |
Civic skills include the abilities to communicate with elected officials, organize to influence policy, understand and participate in one's polity, and think critically about civic and political life.
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Civic Values |
Civic values are the cultivated sets of values or beliefs that encourage stable communities. It is defined as the commitment of citizens to the welfare of their communities, regions, and nations.
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Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) |
The USAID Strategy on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance defines the basic conception of democracy as "a civilian political system in which the legislative and chief executive offices are filled through regular, competitive elections with universal suffrage." The extent of democracy can be considered along three dimensions: "1) the degree of free contestation for political authority; 2) the extent and character of inclusion in that contestation; and 3) the level of recourse to democratic deliberation based on dialogue and the exchange of ideas." Human rights should include "the right to be free from violations of physical integrity; the collective rights of all citizens to enjoy political rights and civil liberties; and equality of opportunity and non-discriminatory access to public goods and services." And governance refers to "the exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a country’s affairs at all levels."[3]
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Evaluation |
“[T]he systematic collection and analysis of information about the characteristics and outcomes of programs and projects as a basis for judgments, to improve effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about current and future programming.”[4] Evaluations have two main functions: accountability and learning. They measure project effectiveness, relevance, and efficiency and disclose evaluative information to stakeholders for better resource allocation. They also systematically generate empirical knowledge about project performance to answer questions of what elements of the intervention worked, what did not work, and why. By contributing to such a body of knowledge, evaluations help with the decision-making process regarding policy priorities and program design and implementation.
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Evidence-based Practice/ Programming |
Evidence-based practice is an approach or strategy supported by solid empirical bases, and evidence-based programming comprises a set of activities that demonstrate effectiveness, likewise, through empirical evidence. For technical clarity, these two terms should not be used interchangeably, but the standard of “evidence-based” applies to both.[5]
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Political Participation |
The many activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. These activities may be aimed at influencing formal as well as informal power structures. Political participation derives from the freedom to speak out, assemble and associate; the ability to take part in the conduct of public affairs; and the opportunity to register as a candidate, to campaign, to be elected, and to hold office at all levels of government. Individuals can also become involved in certain aspects of the electoral process through independent action, particularly at the local level and by joining civil society organizations.[6]
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Positive Youth Development (PYD) |
PYD engages youth along with their families, communities, and/or governments so that youth are empowered to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and seek to transform systems. One of the primary distinctions between PYD approaches and other approaches is the emphasis on youth assets and the contributions young people can make to development, versus focusing primarily on deficits. USAID has embraced and is promoting this approach through a global youth program entitled YouthPower[7].
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Youth |
A life stage where one transitions from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence. While key multilaterals define youth as persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years for statistical purposes, the meaning of “youth” varies in different societies[8]. USAID Youth in Development Policy explains that programs also are likely to engage individuals aged 10-29 as a broader youth cohort[9]. For the purposes of this Technical Guide, we will use the 10-29 age range while keeping in mind the concept of “life stage” and transitioning to adult independence.
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Youth Council |
A formal body composed of youth that provides advice to government decision makers or the development community. This role includes identifying priorities and proposing policies that support them. Often, youth councils also contribute to the implementation of these policies through public service. Their role may also include public outreach and advocacy.[10] Whatever their structure, youth councils give young people a meaningful role in the policy and decision-making process. Young people of all ages have found their voice through organizing, advocacy and community leadership. Even for those youth that have voting rights, Youth Councils (YCs) provide the opportunity to have direct access to policy makers.[11]
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Youth Engagement |
Meaningful youth engagement is an inclusive, intentional, mutually-respectful partnership between youth and adults whereby power is shared, respective contributions are valued, and young people’s ideas, perspectives, skills, and strengths are integrated into the design and delivery of programs, strategies, policies, funding mechanisms and organizations that affect their lives and their communities, countries and globally. Meaningful youth engagement recognizes and seeks to change the power structures that prevent young people from being considered experts in regard to their own needs and priorities, while also building their leadership capacities.[12]
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Youth Leadership |
Youth exercising authority over themselves or others. It has been elaborated upon as a theory of youth development in which young people gain skills and knowledge necessary to lead civic engagement, education reform, community organizing and other activities.
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Youth Leadership Development |
The process of “empower[ing] youth to inspire and mobilize themselves and others towards a common purpose, in response to personal and/or social issues and challenges, to effect positive change.”[13] |
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Youth Organizing |
Youth organizing is an innovative form of youth development strategy driven by a social justice agenda. It mobilizes and trains young people in individual or collective leadership and other skills to alter power relations and create meaningful institutional change in their communities. Youth organizing relies on youth to define issues and priorities relevant to them and to seek the support of others (youth and adult groups) as they design, implement, and evaluate their own change efforts. It is different from traditional youth development approaches where youth are seen as “recipients” of services to solve problem behaviors. Activities of youth organizing fall within the realms of popular education, social action, and participatory research. The majority of youth organizing focuses on local issues though it can occur around racial justice, environmental justice, juvenile justice and issues related to gender and women/girls that may be addressed at the national or global levels.
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Youth Parliament |
Youth Parliaments are projects or initiatives meant to create spaces and opportunities for young people to adopt processes modelled upon adult political models. They are deliberative spaces that involve processes of nomination and election of candidates. YPs may or may not be attached to governments. It is worth noting that there is a tendency to confuse the definitions of YCs and YPs and use the terms interchangeably, given that both are defined as deliberative spaces. However, their structures, resources, functions, and ties to adult organizations can be quite distinct. Youth Councils are always attached to governments. Youth Parliaments may or may not be.
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Youth-serving Organizations |
Youth-serving organizations are public, private, religious, or secular organizations, led by adults that engage children and youth in a range of activities. These activities develop skills, interests, and allegiances, offer opportunities for exploration and contribution, and meet basic needs for information, guidance and referrals, and sometimes family and social services.[14] They involve youth as core constituents or participants. Some of them see youth as beneficiaries of their services. They reach out to at-risk youth to provide them with skills and opportunities but typically do not include youth as leaders and actors in their communities. Other groups position youth as participants, having them carry out campaign strategies and tactics developed by adults. Youth’s influence on campaign priorities is often minimized in order to maintain adults’ decision-making power. However, there is an emergence of adult-led organizations that grant young people substantial roles in decision making.
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Explore the toolkit:
What is Positive Youth Development?
What is Inclusive Development?
Models for Integrating Youth
Cross-cutting Considerations
- Civic Participation
- Youth Organizations
- Youth Leadership
- Example Program Types and Theories of Change
Entry Points for Youth Integration into the Program Cycle
Country/Regional Strategic Planning
Project Design and Implementation
Activity Design and Implementation
Monitoring and Evaluation
Guide to Youth in Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Programs
1. Civil Society
2. Human Rights Protection and Promotion
3. Rule of Law and the Justice Sector
4. Legislative Strengthening
5. Local Governance and Devolution
6. Political Party Development
7. Electoral Processes
8. Anti-Corruption and Accountability
9. Reconciliation, Peacebuilding, and Transitional Justice
10. Media, Information, and Communication Technologies (ICTs)