In a rapidly changing world, new perspectives, ideas and forms of cooperation are hard needed. This is why it´s important that young people also have a voice in the future of international cooperation, as they bring different insights and experiences to the table. At the same time, we see that governance structures and boards within the sector are dominated by older generations, meaning that this generation still often makes the decisions. Together with young people and Stephanie Wellink from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we started a conversation.
From tokenism to meaningful youth participation
It soon became clear that meaningful youth participation requires more than just an invitation. Young people highlighted a number of conditions they consider essential: transparency regarding the aim, expectations and what young people can gain from the process, access to all relevant information, clear and shared language, room for agency, and an inclusive approach that also involves marginalised groups. But perhaps most importantly: the willingness of organisations and decision-makers to genuinely share power.
The pitfalls of youth participation
The obstacles of youth participation were also discussed at length. Young people recognise that participation is still too often a one-off addition, without clear follow-up or structural integration into an organisation. Advisory councils do not always influence decisions,feedback on what is done with the advice is often lacking, and young people are out of the picture as soon as implementation begins. Furthermore, effective participation requires time, capacity and budget. As a result, it is often mainly highly educated young people with sufficient resources who take part, whilst the perspectives of other groups of young people remain underrepresented.
How could things be different
During the breakout sessions, participants considered how things could be done differently. The common thread: build on what already exists and do not try to reinvent the wheel. Collaborate with existing youth initiatives, invest in long-term relationships with them, and create space for co-creation right from the start of a process. Don’t just give young people a voice, but also real decision-making power. This requires mutual trust, transparency, and the active sharing of information.
Representation also received a great deal of attention. Which young people are we actually engaging with? And whose voices are missing? Participants specifically emphasised the need to involve young people with vocational training, young people with disabilities, and young people from the Global Majority. An important message: keep assessing who you are reaching and who you are not.
In addition, plenty of concrete ideas were put forward: from mentoring schemes and capacity-building programmes to influential roles for young people within an organisation. Some went a step further and suggested turning the perspective on its head. What if Partos was youth-led and ‘people with experience’ formed an advisory board? It was an inspiring brainstorming session with a key conclusion. Make space for young people, trust them, and do not dictate in advance what their contribution should be. Meaningful participation starts with truly listening and being willing to share influence.
The future of youth participation at Partos
The meeting also raised important questions for Partos itself. What exactly is the purpose of ‘young OS’? Who is it intended for? What mandate will it be given, how do we ensure that young people derive lasting benefit from it, and with what objective do we move forward? Participants emphasised that a strong foundation begins with answering these questions and testing them against the views of young people themselves.
This meeting was a positive step forward. We will take the insights and ideas gained from it into the next sessions, in which we will continue to work together on how youth participation could be given concrete form within international cooperation and within Partos.