Choices of Participation
The session aims at exploring what youth participation means in the everyday life of young people and in which areas of life it can/should be implemented.To reflect on the areas in which youth participation is more or less important from their own perspective;To raise awareness about the diversity of youth work/active participation experiences present in the group and to engage participants in and benefit from a clear and focused dialogue with other colleagues working in the field.
The exercise starts with the distribution of the handout with multiple choices of participation and the instructions to choose individually 3 ways of participation that would never engage in, and 3 ways that for sure they would engage in.
After the presentation of the exercise, allow time for individual reflection to make the choices.
Form groups of four participants. Each group should achieve an agreement on the 3 ways of participation that would never engage in, and 3 ways that for sure they would engage in.
The groups present the results of their work. Start first, sharing and writing in one column of the board the three choices that the sub-groups decided will never engage in. Do it for all the subgroups writing the results in the board. Underline those choices of participation that are repeated among groups.
Once all the subgroups have presented, continue with the second round on the three choices of participation were they will surely engage in. Write them in the second column on the board. The board with the table of final results is displayed.
Time for debriefing the exercise
Question guidelines for the activity debriefing:
What would I choose to participate in? Start with the column of the “choices of participation I will never engage in”:
What are the main choices of no-participation?
Any surprises?
Why do you think is this for?
Continue with the “choices of participation I will potentially engage in”:
What are the main choices of participation?
Any surprises?
Why do you think is this for?
How was for you individually to make these choices (easy/difficult)? How has been the process in the subgroups?
Returning to participants’ daily lives, and the groups of young people participants’ are working with. Are these choices similar or do they have different positions? Why?
A potential proposal is to explore what are the ways young people can engage in their community, what potential spaces of participation exist and where are them. Potentially the group could map their community exploring what citizenship dimensions are encouraging the participation of young people in cultural, economical, social, political and environmental areas.
Once the community mapping is done, establish what aspects need further development and meet with the local authorities to develop them.