Youth participation : is it worth the hassle?

Abstract

For the past two decades the notion of youth participation has become a commonly used term both in the youth work field and by policy makers. Various studies from all-over the world have shown that youth participation has a positive effect on young people, adults, communities and society at large. Research about youth participation in decision making in Malta is still at an embryonic stage. Little has been done to discover the processes and the outcomes of youth participation. This study takes into consideration young people's participation in a particular setting, namely the governing bodies of national youth organisations in Malta. It aimed to discover the benefits for young people, adults and the organisations that such participation brings, while it looked at the factors that keep young people committed to the leadership of their organisation for a long time, and the challenges for youth participation at this level. The study is based on the phenomenological descriptions of the decision making processes and the developmental outcomes of such processes, of young people and adults. Semi-structured interviews were held with five young people and five adults who at the time of the study were involved in the governing body of their organisation. The chosen organisations were voluntary youth organisations that have been involving young people in their governance for at least one year. One of the main conclusions of this study is that the experience of being part of the governance structure makes young people agents of their own development. Moreover it facilitates the co-operation between adults and young people, giving rise to co-learning and inter-generational learning. Young people experience increased ownership in their organisation to the extent that they feel responsible for its development. They contribute to shape the organisation's history. In short this study shows that, through youth participation, young people are not the only ones benefiting, other members, the community and society at large benefit as well.