Erasmus+ Worldwide Consultation: “Youth Access to Funding”
Background
Young people are a key demographic in ensuring lasting and sustainable peace and in the effort to meet the goals of 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Several National and International resolutions notably the UNSC Resolution 2250 have acknowledged the important and indispensable role that young people play in ensuring sustainable peace and development. Despite these recognitions and the mantra of the UN SDG goal to “leave no one behind”, young people still face multiple discriminations and challenges when it comes to financing their initiatives. They are often forgotten, underrepresented in decision making tables and programmes concerning them are under budgeted and underfunded.
It is important that the needs and opinions of young people are reflected in development policies and implementation processes for when these happen, policies and initiatives are more effective and sustainable.
At the just concluded “Global Dialogue on Youth Participation and Peace” the participants at the session Fundraising and Youth Access to funding highlighted some of the challenges they encounter when approaching funding agencies. Some of these challenges include:
- The lack of trust from donors/funders for youth led organizations;
- Too much paperwork/bureaucracies both in registering their organization and in meeting the elaborate donor requirements for accessing funding;
- Lack of transparency on the part of funding agencies in disclosing what programme they are funding and what impact its making;
- Very difficult reporting requirements;
- Lack of capacity in fundraising and managing finance.
Recommendations
Rising from this discussion, 40 young people who participated in this access to financing discussion representing youth and grassroots organizations from over 20 countries in Africa and Europe recommended that:
- Funding agencies should provide guidance and support throughout the implementation of projects. Do not only provide the funding for the project but ensure adequate provision for the follow up.
- Government should implement policies that reduce the administrative requirements for registering young organizations and their initiatives as well as reduce the tax burden on youth-led organizations.
- Government should ensure adequate budgetary provision for youth-led projects and ensure the mainstreaming of youth development across all government sectors and programmes.
- Provide capacity building and opportunities for young people to get involved in decision making at the public level to ensure their needs and concerns are considered and substantially budgeted for.
Let us know what you think about these proposed policy recommendations or share any additional propositions aimed at improving youth access to funding!
Workshop was facilitated by Richard Francis Apeh. Workshops are part of project “Erasmus+ Worldwide: Global Dialogue on Youth Participation & Peace”, implemented with the support of the EU-funded Erasmus+ Student and Alumni Association. Outcomes of the consultation will be to identify policy recommendations to be shared with the international donors, and to inform PhD Research “Making room for Peacebuilding Youth (?): the Quality of Youth Participation in the Policy and Decision-making within the Europe-Africa Partnership” by Neringa Tumėnaitė at SOAS, University of London. Learn more about the project: www.globalyouth.eu
