Civil Society organizations as instruments to overcome barriers to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Civil Society organizations as instruments to overcome barriers to engaging political institutions Expert Group Meeting: Youth, Development and Rights NOVEMBER, 2013 / UNHQ, NEW YORK

Civil Society “The actual problems of the world are so complex and important that they should not be left only to governments.” Bonian Golmohommadi UN Photo/Evan Schneider Secretary-General EXPERT GROUP MEETING: YOUTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RIGHTS WFUNA

Civil Society DEFINITION FURTHER CONCEPTUALIZATION • Organizations of the • Robert Putnam’s “third sector” ideas on Social Capital to increase • Burton Weisbrod’s civic engagement ideas that CSO’s supply public goods • Social Capital: trust, when the demand for norms and networks these goods is that increase heterogeneous. efficiency through coordinated actions EXPERT GROUP MEETING: YOUTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RIGHTS

Overcoming the barriers EXTERNAL INTERNAL 1) Showcasing the 3) Providing and nature of these equipping youth with barriers. skills. 2) Amplifying voices 4) Providing internal and extending reach. spaces for civic engagement. EXPERT GROUP MEETING: YOUTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RIGHTS

Way Forward GOVERNMENTS AND YOUTH-LED ORGANIZATIONS BUSINESSES • High exit rates / Long- • Actively fund and term strategic plans and promote the environment institutional solidity for CSO’s to emerge • Mix of “parenting” • Give priority to core (brothering, sistering) and funding youth-led structures / • Coherence in age of Example: UNA’s majority and age to • Set of incentives establish youth organizations EXPERT GROUP MEETING: YOUTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RIGHTS

Best practices VOTO JOVEN DIARIO DEL VOTANTE • Youth-led • Youth-led organization that organization that promotes voting in provides information young audiences of political options to improve civic • Country: Venezuela engagement • www.votojoven.com • Country: Argentina • www.diariodelvotante .com.ar EXPERT GROUP MEETING: YOUTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RIGHTS

Best practices WFUNA UNA – UNYA’S • Civil Society organization • Grass-roots level with a membership of organizations over 100 United Nations • Independent, semi- Associations worldwide independent or • Bridge between CS and dependent UN • First contact with the UN • Only CSO with the mission of supporting and strengthening the UN EXPERT GROUP MEETING: YOUTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RIGHTS