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LESSON

Lesson Learned: Civic Participation of Indigenous Youth for the Strengthening of Democracy

The adoption of the Public Policy on Youth and the creation of the Municipal Youth Office are evidence that the project managed to establish a link between the youth associations and the municipal authorities in Guatemala. The young people appreciated the project’s training and building of the associations which gave them the opportunity to know their rights and apply democratic practices in Guatemala.
Project Partner
Coordinación de ONGs y Cooperativas
Project Description
The aim of the project in Guatemala was to increase the participation of Q´eqchi youth, especially women, in individual and collective decision-making and democratic processes in the municipality of Sayaxché, department of Petén. The project strategy was structured around two activities: training young people on citizens’ rights and participatory democracy; and creating organized youth spaces to foster the participation of young people in political decision-making processes. Civic awareness-raising and training sessions for young people from 23 communities belonging to five micro-regions within the municipality of Sayaxché were held. The project then attempted to institutionalise structures by creating two youth associations. These associations were expected to draft a proposal for public policy on youth at the municipal level, which would be presented to the local government for adoption. These activities contributed to the improvement of the quality of political participation of young people and to the strengthening of the process of decentralization which promotes civic participation at the local level.
Evaluation Date
January 2016
Country