INTRODUCTION

Direct youth involvement in community planning and decision-making can be viewed as a strategy for:

• Fostering greater civic commitment & engagement
• Encouraging sustainable development & intergenerational equity in development
• Nurturing social learning, critical thinking, & innovation
• Reducing conflict & isolation
• Building more productive social capital community-wide
  

Direct youth involvement in planning helps "deepen" democracy by engaging both youth and adult community members in a meaningful civic dialogue, and increasing the number of citizens who feel - and are - "counted" as community-builders and contributors.

Youth participation helps fight the stereotyping of youth as "problems" or worse, and it helps
young people transition into adulthood roles that support democratic growth.

Youth participation in planning and decision-making helps all citizens move beyond passive consumerism, excessive individualism, and oppression to move communities and society
in a positive direction.

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Please contact me with your ideas, comments, suggestions or questions

Created May 2004, by Mark Tirpak, MSCRP Student