NDI Report: Youth, Women, Technology. Summer 2007

Many people in Hong Kong are at a loss to explain why our youth have suddenly become so discontent with life and why so many young activists have suddenly emerged to express their discontent, often in violent ways.

The answer to this is simple, if somewhat uncomfortable – Hong Kong has been the target of a comprehensive program, funded by the US Government, with funds allocated by the US Congress to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which are being used by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to implement that program.

Youth Programming

According to the NDI’s own publications, youth are a key component of NDI programs and programs targeting young people have been the sole subject of comment in three NDI Civic Updates/NDI Reports:

·         2004. Civic Update entitled: Young People, not the problem, part of the solution,

·         2007. NDI Report on Youth, Women, Technology.

·         2012. Civic Update on Youth Programming.

Extracts from 2007 NDI Report: Youth, Women, Technology

The following extracts from lead article in the Summer 2007 NDI Report entitled: Youth, Women, Technology. Entitled: ‘Moving Young People to the Forefront of Political Participation’, the reasons for targeting youth include:

Reasons for targeting youth

·         Children and young adults will soon make up nearly 70 percent of the population in many developing countries. This so-called “youth bulge” represents a potentially positive force for change,

·         Young people are a fundamental part of the solution to the problems posed by weak democratic institutions and processes,

·         Efforts to promote the principles of good governance and activism among youth have contributed to democratic change in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Africa,

·         Young people have contributed to public debates in their communities, promoted greater accountability in government, combated corruption, and entered the political arena with their own voice and goals,

·         Focus group research shows that young, first-time voters are more idealistic in their goals and less loyal to established traditions. Youth are more likely to take political risks and often have more time to dedicate to political causes than adults.

NDI Programs underway

·         Work with youth is central to more than two dozen NDI programs currently being implemented around the world,

·         Institute activities with young people are designed to mobilize their energy, passion, and interests, and help them engage actively and constructively in the political processes

·         of their respective societies.

·         By helping young people organize and become politically active, NDI hopes to address the challenges of alienation, apathy, violence, and ignorance that may threaten the stability of an emerging democracy,

·         NDI has worked with over 20,000 young party members around the world to build leadership skills.

·         Young civic activists have been instrumental in many election monitoring and advocacy campaigns conducted by NDI’s local partners, bringing enthusiasm and new perspectives on how to motivate citizens and interact with public officials,

·         NDI has supported more than 11,000 young people in parliamentary internship programs in 25 countries,

·         These programs typically place university students in committee staff positions and in members’ offices to conduct research or support constituency and media outreach activities.

Report cover

Reference

NDI Reports. A review of political development in new democracies: Youth, Women, Technology. Summer 2007. Link to report:
 https://www.ndi.org/files/2184_ndi_reports_summer07_082407_0.pdf