Civil Society for Social Cohesion

Outcome 1:    Improved responsiveness of local formal and informal decision-making institutions to youth and women-led community concerns and initiatives for improved public services, local development, and accountable governance (supply side).

Outcome 2:    Improved Youth (14-28) and Women's participation in decision-making and social development processes at the local/community level (demand side).

Resultados previstos:  

Supply side:

1.    Sub-national government and assemblies’ capacity developed for effective engagement with citizens at various levels;

2.    Improved multi stakeholder dialogue and joint action spaces for local governments, youth and women to advance common good.

Demand side:

1.    Communities groups are selected and trained in leadership, civic engagement/livelihoods and are operationalised;

2.    Youth are selected and trained in leadership, civic engagement, contemporary leadership skills & entrepreneurship;

3.    Community needs are identified and local responses implemented in a participatory and inclusive way, anchored on gender iquality approaches;

4.    Youth hubs are created to advance youth’s active participation in  community decision making proceses , enhance entrepreneurship and enhance social development projects in Districts;

5.    Communities groups and youth hubs are assisted in accessing local government decision-making and priority setting;

6.    Multi stakeholder dialogue and joint action platforms for local governments, youth and women to advance common good are improved.

Resultados de las fases anteriores:  

-    Bringing together 3 main national organisation’s strategic plans within a unique programme is complicated but very relevant and impactful:  know-how, expertise and networks are adding up;

-    Weak institutionalization of decentralization reforms, control mechanisms, exclusion from access to income opportunities, and under-representation of large groups in policy dialogue, reinforce distrust in formal democratic processes, aggravate inequality, promote a widespread feeling of political and economic injustice, hinder the participation of young people and women and negatively influence the relationship between state institutions and youth and women;

-    Social cohesion can be strengthened through a combination of individual leadership skills building, community-level organisation and collaboration, democratic mediation by youth leaders and community-based organisations, supply-side capacity-building;

-    The more citizens and local communities have a common interest in addressing a common issue, and are cognizant of their rights and duties, the more community is able to organise themselves for interaction with formal and informal authorities in public decision making

-    The articulation and coordination of local development processes with different institutional levels (Districts, Municipalities, Provinces and central) enhances government's capacity to respond to citizens' demands and improves confidence in dialogue and problem-solving forums

1.    Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD);

2.    Mechanism for Civil Society Support Foundation (MASC Foundation);

3.    Institute for Social and Economic Studies (IESE).