ROLE OF YOUTH GROUPS IN A DEMOCRACY Anguilla Life 青年群体中一民主安圭拉生活角色

1、the role of young people in the democratic process presentation by henry charles, regional director of the commonwealth youth programme caribbean centre. the valley, anguilla march 2007thesis young people can and should play a critical role in the democratic process. young people must be empowered t

2、o become active participants in and beneficiaries of the democratic process.perspectives of democracy popular democracy peoples power socialist democracy social democracy us style democracy westminister democracydefining characteristics of a democracy constitution parliament executive arm judiciary

3、law and order public service civil societyelements of the democratic processrecognition and protection of fundamental human rights (freedom of expression, etc,)independent judiciary adult suffrage (right to vote)electoral system ( political parties,public policy (formulation, implementation and eval

4、uation)economic empowerment and social inclusionprofessional public servicerule of law (legislation, police)private sectorcivil societyour democratic process form or substance?democratic processour expectationsactual performancefreedom of exp.adult suffrageelectionslawsparticipation avenues to expre

5、ss views.exercising right to voteeffective/just lawsgood governanceprofessional political partieslimited opportunities for effective participation.increasing voter apathyinadequacy of some legislation.antiquated political structuresseperation of powerconstitution independence of judiciarysupremacy o

6、f constitution and parliament.conflict between authority and functions of organs.irrelevance of constitutionspolicy formulation/implementation.effective policiespeoples participationpolicies are sometimes ineffective and not formulated with participation.lack of transparency and accountability.human

7、 rightsprotection of basic rights.many concerns regarding human rights issues.economic empowerment and social inclusion.equal opportunitiessound economic/social policies.widening gap between social groups.increased poverty.public servicesefficient and professional public servicemany questions/concer

8、ns regarding efficiency and professionalism youth imperative ineffective youth development strategies social problems and challenges have disproportionate impact on youth. deformed youth participation strategies absence of sustainable youth leadership development programmes. social exclusion deforme

9、d juvenile justice systems problem based approach to youth development.the verdictform: basic outline, structures of democratic process are evident.substance: our democratic processes are fragile, inefficient and in need of urgent reform. a source of increasing discontent and alienation. enhancing t

10、he democratic process- action pointsconstitutional reformimproving the legislative and policy formulation process.enhancing the capacity of the state to facilitate economic empowerment and social justicereform and modernization of political partiesreform and modernization of trade unions and other c

11、ivic organizations.enhance the quality and effectiveness of law enforcement systems.establish appropriate legislation, policies and protocols to enhance public participation in governance. action points reform of the electoral process reform of the juvenile justice system. institute effective local

12、government systems. national youth policies- strategic youth development plans.citizen youth - rights young people have a right to sustainable livelihoods. they have a right to be active participants in the governance and development of their communities.role of young people change agents leadership

13、 advocacy voters public education/building social and political consciousness formulation, implementation and evaluation of public policyyouth empowerment why?“cyp believes that young people who are empowered by their societies can be a force of great contribution and advancement both for themselves

14、 and their countries. we also believe that young people who are marginalized and disempowered by their societies can quickly become disillusioned and may try to empower themselves through extreme measures” (executive summary, cyp 2006/2008 strategic plan)youth empowerment how? adopt a rights and ass

15、et based approach to youth development. provide an enabling environment for effective youth participation establish effective strategies/mechanisms to facilitate economic empowerment and social inclusion of young people. improve the quality and accessibility of social services for young people. incr

16、ease public investment in youth development. mainstreaming youth development specific recommendationscreate an enabling environment for the development and upgrading of youth groups and youth networks.support the implementation of a massive programme of civic education and leadership development for

17、 young people.facilitate the implementation of strategies to enhance youth accessibility and competence in ict.political parties and other civic groups must engage in a process of modernization and democratization to improve their relevance to young people. they must also adopt appropriate policies

18、and structures to facilitate effective youth participation in their decision making processes. develop and mainstream more effective employment and micro-enterprise programmes for young people.specific recommendationsprovide adequate support for the development and promotion of youth artistic and creative abilities.consider new and more efficient methods of increasing access to tertiary education.create avenues for existing youth parliaments to more effectiv