Welcome!
Despite the struggles of 2020, we remain just as committed to advancing Positive Youth Development as ever. Our community has found creative ways to continue its important work—from transitioning in-person activities to virtual, to working together in ensuring those most in need still have safe access to essential services, to adjusting programs to cope with the consequences of COVID-19. In this winter issue of our quarterly newsletter, we highlight our findings about youth in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, Guinea, and Morocco; introduce YP2LE’s new Communities of Practice; and announce a new way for youth to engage with YP2LE on social media.
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Launches
YP2LE Launches Three New Communities of Practice
YP2LE spent the first six months of 2020 listening to and co-designing with members of the YouthPower Learning Network, and now we are pleased to announce the launch of the refreshed YP2LE Learning Network with several new features and benefits. (see the Network Launch for more detail). As part of the Learning Network Launch, we are kicking off three Communities of Practice (CoPs) between December 3 and December 17. These communities will be spaces where you will be able to engage with like-minded individuals invested in applying Positive Youth Development approaches to particular topics. During the kick-offs you will meet the CoP Champions and Youth Advisors; learn about each CoP; discover opportunities for engaging within the CoP and across the Learning Network; and contribute your ideas, needs, and expertise to developing the learning agenda for the first six months.
Business, Entrepreneurship, and Private-Sector Engagement (BE and PSE) CoP
Kick-off: Thursday, December 3, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. EST
The BE and PSE CoP will be a community space focused on building skills in entrepreneurship and on collaboration with the private sector. Open to all sectors, the CoP will focus on agriculture initially, adding other sectors (e.g., health, education, or transport) based on member interest. Join the BE and PSE Discussion Group to connect with others in the community!
Register for the BE and PSE CoP kick-off today!
Youth Engagement CoP
Kick-off: Thursday, December 10, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. EST.
The Youth Engagement CoP will be a community space focused on approaches to fostering, participating in, and building support and evidence for meaningful youth engagement. Join the Youth Engagement CoP Discussion Group to connect with others in the community!
Register for the Youth Engagement CoP kick-off today!
Gender CoP
Kick-off: Thursday, December 17, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. EST.
The Gender CoP will be a community space focused on fostering, engaging in, and building support and evidence for integrated youth-centered and gender transformative programming through positive youth development. Join the Gender CoP Discussion Group to connect with others in the community!
Register for the Gender CoP kick-off today!
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YouthLead is now on Instagram! @youthleadglobal
In honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020, we launched our YouthLead Instagram account! We featured stories from four of our former YouthLead Ambassadors who are entrepreneurs: Jupille Facile, Saje Molato, Wendy Meruvia, and Djonabaye Israel. These young changemakers were selected for their continuous efforts to find innovative solutions to needs in their communities heightened by the current pandemic. Join us in the coming weeks as we showcase more young changemakers working against gender-based violence and towards peace and security. Follow us to stay up-to-date on the amazing young changemakers who comprise our YouthLead community. Tag us, and share your YouthLead story!
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Feature
Fighting for Gender and LGBTQ Rights in Mauritius
As we enter 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, we honor the young people who are advocating for a society that protects all of its members. One of those fearless advocates is Nandini Tanya Lallmon, a lawyer in Mauritius and member of the YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE) Youth Advisory Group.
Tanya grew up in a Mauritian family with orthodox values. Her daily life was regulated by customs and traditions that she bristled against.
“My desire to pursue advanced tertiary studies was ridiculed on the grounds that ‘a woman’s happiness lies solely in her husband’s success, her children’s welfare, and her household cleanliness,’” recalled Tanya. “When I questioned the relevance of these opinions from extended family members, some of whom had not studied beyond primary school, I was severely reprimanded for being ‘too bold, too ambitious, and too opinionated for a girl.’”
But, Tanya persisted despite her relatives’ disapproval. She was encouraged by her participation in programs dedicated to helping young women find the power within, such as the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative and CIVICUS.
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Now Available
Youth Resiliency in The Eastern and Southern Caribbean
USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean and the Caribbean Development Bank requested YP2LE conduct a Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment (CSYA) to guide strategies and intentional engagement with youth as key actors and facilitators of sustainable development solutions. The findings from this assessment indicate youth in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean have universal goals and desires. They also show that young people are faced with an overwhelming number of challenges related to quality of education; limited job opportunities in both number and quality of jobs; the level of crime and violence; health concerns; discrimination linked to gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, geographical location); and the negative impacts of climate change. For a summary of all the key findings and to access the full report, visit YouthPower.org.
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Opportunities for Youth Engagement in Guinea
YP2LE conducted a CSYA in Guinea at the request of USAID/Guinea to identify opportunities for a more strategic engagement of youth in shaping Guinea’s journey to self-reliance. The assessment found Guinean youth vary in terms of the assets they possess; however, the most common gaps are in access to quality education, practical skills, work experience, access to finance, and access to youth-friendly health services. A quality, market-driven education is the number-one priority of all surveyed youth. The current education-to-employment transition is difficult. Learn more about key findings and access the full report.
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Understanding the Status and Aspirations of Moroccan Youth
Youth are the foundation of a prosperous future for Morocco. However, they confront growing risks from a combination of education, economic and workforce development, civic engagement and participatory governance, and community resilience challenges. USAID/Morocco requested that YP2LE conduct a CSYA to understand the status and aspirations of Moroccan youth ages 15-29 and how to best support youth on their journey to self-reliance. Findings showed, despite Morocco’s high levels of access to education, more than half of the country’s students leave the education system early or without proficiency in the skills required for the labor market. Youth employment is precarious and fragile. About 73.3 percent of active 15 - 29-year-olds have no medical coverage, and 80 percent work without a contract. Nearly 70 percent of surveyed youth believed their needs and opinions are not taken into consideration by government programs and services targeting youth. Learn more about Youth in Morocco.
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Upcoming Events
December 2020
- December 3: Business, Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Engagement (BE&PSE) Community of Practice Kick-off
December 7: 2020 Global Digital Health Forum
December 10: Youth Engagement Community of Practice Kick-off
December 10: World Cooperative Congress 2020
December 17: Gender Community of Practice Kick-off
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New Resources on YouthPower.org
YouthPower Learning Resources
- YP2LE Learning Network Launch Webinar: Joining New Communities of Practice (CoP) (Webinar Recording)
- USAID/Guinea Youth Assessment Situational Analysis Report
- Morocco Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment Report
- Guinea Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment
- USAID/Guinea Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment Summary Brief
- Eastern and Southern Caribbean Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment Situational Analysis
- Summary Brief: Eastern and Southern Caribbean Youth Situational Analysis
- Morocco Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment Report
- YP2LE Webinar: Systems Mapping Training Session 1 (Webinar recording and slides )
- YP2LE Webinar: Systems Mapping Training Session 2 (Webinar recording and slides)
- YP2LE Webinar: Systems Mapping Training Session 3 (Webinar recording and slides)
Agriculture, Food Security
Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance
- How can all people participate in elections and democracy during COVID-19 and other crises?
- Recordings of the Webinars Hosted by the DRG Center
Economic Growth, Education, and Environment
- How to Develop Work-Ready Digital Skills in African Youth?
- Jobs in a net-zero emissions future in Latin America and the Caribbean
Gender
- Research challenges in evaluating gender-based violence response services in a refugee camp
- Trauma-Informed Approaches to Development