UGANDA EXPERIENCE WITH IMPLEMENTING THE YOUTH MANIFESTO PROJECT

What has been done so far

THE CM: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.

Citizen Manifesto Intervention(A)

Youth Activism(B)

Political Culture

(C)

Sustainable Democracy and employment status

(D)

METHODOLOGY EMPLOYED IN UGANDA Coordination, content, tools, M&E, moderation of

online discussions, documentation and reporting by the CEW-IT CU

Implementation: CEFORD (Arua), FHRI (Kampala city)

Youth groups at the grassroots in Kampala and Arua municipalities

Adaptation of Ushahidi platform to youth online platform

Consultations with youths Integration of youth manifesto in the

Neighbourhood Assemblies Strategic engagement with government

authorities and youth CSOs (UYONET)

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN UGANDA

Developed framework for the Youth Manifesto Web platform for collecting youth asks

developed for UG, NL (in progress) CEW-IT supported NL and Brazil to adapt their

existing tools to the youth manifesto Organized Uganda workshop 1st to 3rd June

2015 on the Youth Manifesto project. Identified youth groups in capital city and one

upcountry municipality (Arua) – 44 groups Worked closely with two local authorities

(Arua, KCCA), ministry for youth and Youth members of parliament

ACTIVITIES Developed online platform

www.youthmanifesto.ug Developed blue print for the Youth manifesto Supported Movisie (and Brazil?) to develop online

platform for youth engagement (work in progress) Conducted consultative meetings with youths in

two regions – the capital city and the north west town of Arua

Compiled the Youth Asks into a manifesto Conducted engagement meetings between the

youth and their leaders to discuss some of the issues in the youth manifesto

In the process to document the YM into a popular illustrated version

SNAPSHOT OF THE YOUTH MANIFESTO IN UGANDA

Contextual presentation of the youth unemployment

Underlying causes of youth unemployment Existing efforts to address the youth

unemployment Youth Asks to the specific target groups

CONTEXT

Country population 35 million (census 2014) 73% are below 30yrs of age Youth unemployment stands at 66 percent in

Uganda Over 400,000 youths graduate from various

institutions annually but only 36,000 get employed

DRIVERS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Employability: mismatch between curriculum and job market

Structure of the economy: private sector export led growth policy. Great focus on administrative engineering, huge administration and welfare. The notion of ‘democracy is expensive’.

Weak equal opportunities programs: structural weaknesses in job creation.

Leadership that strategically focuses on youth issues: leadership that brings out youth potential, role

EFFORTS TO ADDRESS YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT A policy and legal framework for youth like

National Youth Council in place Special seats for the youth in parliament and

local councils A minister specifically for youth affairs Availing education opportunities to the young

people through UPE, USE, BTVET and Universities Putting in place policies on private sector led and

export oriented economic growth there by also attracting Foreign Direct Investments

Youth employment opportunities (seed capital): capital venture funds, skilling Uganda project and youth livelihoods project.

Equal opportunities commission

KEY MANIFESTO DEMANDS

1. To the elected leaders (the President and Members of Parliament)

Policy on youth employment in the private sector through internship

More Uganda youths to be employed by foreign investors and to create conducive working environment.

Compel the ministry of education through the curriculum development centre to revise the curricula for universities, colleges, polytechnics and other training institutions to match with the job market requirements.

Put in place a Youth Action Plan and adequate budgetary provision to operationalize the National Youth Policy

DEMANDS TO THE LEADERS

The Members of Parliament should put in place clear laws to operationalize the National Youth Policy.

The President and Parliament should appropriate adequate budgetary allocations to programs that stimulate youth employment.

Members of Parliament and Local Leaders should avail information to the youths on projects that stimulate youth employment.

DEMANDS TO ELECTED LEADERS CONT’D

Regulate export of labour to foreign countries and demand for conducive working conditions there.

Reduce retirement age to 55

DEMANDS TO THE RELEVANT GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES

Streamline youth activities in all relevant ministries Draft laws and policies that put the youth at the

centre of every development initiative Increase youth funding at the ministry, district and

lower levels and at the National Youth Council. Explore more avenues for stimulating youth

employment e.g. securing online jobs Avail and regulate both commodity and labour

markets for the youth within and outside the country Give incentives to youthful entrepreneurs e.g. by

lowering taxes on their products Conduct conferences, exchange visits and exhibitions

for the youths so that they can gain skills and change their attitude towards employment.

Support talented and creative youths e.g. in sports ands creative arts

DEMANDS TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Ensure the District Service Commission employs youths and on merit

Create opportunities for internship placement for fresh graduates

lobby for and demand that programs such CDD and NUSAF target mainly the youth as beneficiaries

Avail land to the youth so that the young people can get involved in production

Liaise with police to enforce laws against youth delinquency e.g. against drug and subsistence abuse, gambling and sports betting

DEMANDS TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Ensure that private firms licensed to operate in the district, whether foreign or local, employ mainly the Ugandan youths

Ensure an Employment Service Bureau is in place in the district

Strengthen the District Labour Office to address the employment concerns of the youth.

Support and promote youth creativity and talent in sports and creative arts

DEMANDS TO THE DISTRICT SERVICE COMMISSION

Consider mainly youth for employment in the District Local Government

Employ people on merit rather than sectarianism and nepotism.

Create platforms through which it can guide youths on how to pass an interview

Avail information to the youth regarding programs and employment opportunities.

Put in place and operationalize a youth Employment Service Bureau in each district.

DEMANDS TO THE RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL LEADERS

Mentor and coach the youths to ensure moral uprightness.

Form associations in churches and mosques that can keep the youths occupied.

Sensitize communities on cultural norms with negative impacts for societal change.

Create Income Generating Activities for the youths so as to empower them financially.

DEMANDS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Offer conducive financial services to the youths

Provide internship packages for the fresh graduates to gain work experience

Mentor and coach youths on job Employ more of Ugandan youths than foreign

nationals Create conducive working environment for

the Ugandan youths Assist in aligning the training curriculum to

the job market requirements

CHALLENGES

Unstable internet connectivity especially in the rural areas

Political situation – elections season, less attention from the leaders

So many manifestos launched at the same time (youth manifesto, women’s manifesto, teachers’ manifesto) etc

Slow adaptation of digital tools (less traffic on the youth manifesto platform)

Too short time

WHAT HAS WORKED WELL

Learning (transfer of methodologies) between Uganda, NL and Brazil

Adapting the YM tool to existing tools and methodologies (e.g. urban mobility in Brazil)

Demonstration of use of YM and other digital tools to influence the political agenda

Mindset shift on youth issues from instrumentalization to internalization – case of Uganda policy makers and local authorities

Youths displaying skills on strategic engagement in the setting of the agenda – who, when, how?; female youth beneficiaries competing for non affirmative elective posts (local and parliamentary)