How inclusion of young people by CSOs can tackle extremism
By Auwal Gombe
Civil society organisations and social movements should do more in order to deliberately recruit young people.
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This starts by including and prioritising young people’s goals and aspirations, and by offering to work with youth as they engage in political advocacy rather than imposing a predetermined structure or set of priorities.
This is not to be mistaken as charity extensive youth participation substantially increases the likelihood of successful campaigns. CSOs are powerfully incentivised to do a better job engaging youth and build their capacity as well as rewarding them for embracing the risks inherent to non-violent activism in repressive contexts.
Youth political engagements can prepare young people to make the transition from grassroots activism to political leadership.
Trainings in public speaking and campaign management should be more prevalent and should be incorporated in the early stages of activism to develop skills that would bear fruit later on.
This is especially important for young women, who are less likely to be included in such opportunities compared to their male counterparts. There is need to thrash the issue of female inclusivity in government as it matters, so as to make policies that address the female issue, we want women holding key political positions, to gain equal representation and participation.
Ultimately, both research and expert analysis agree that youth activism is a critical ingredient for successful non-violent activism.
Young people have been at the heart of many of the world’s most impactful non-violent campaigns, and the trend shows no signs of stopping and we are all better for it.
Auwal Gombe, a development consultant, youth mobiliser, wrote from Gombe State.
