Case2-April-2013
The United Nation defines adolescents as those aged 10-19 and youth as those aged 15 – 24. Young people is a term used to include both and refers to those aged 10 – 24. Many countries including India deviate from this definition, with age ranges between 10 – 35 years. All youth should be able to meet their basic physical and social needs, develop individual assets and competencies and engage with their communities. The youth have to come across various transition phase viz., learning, world of work, staying healthy, starting family and exercising citizenship.
Exercising citizenship is the crucial phase for any youth and during this phase, the youth have to get experience in the following areas.
To develop the skill of exercising citizenship, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, PRIYA Division initiated an action research project in all the states in India called “Mainstreaming youth in Panchayat Raj Institution” DHAN Foundation Panchayat Development Programme collaborated with RGNIYD to implement the project at Puducherry Union Territory.
The project “Mainstreaming Youth in PRI” was initiated in Pudhucherry Union Territory on Feb 2012 and identified the Pillaiyarkuppam Panchayat of Villianoor commune for this project. The project period was one year. The focus of this project was as follows.
The main stakeholders for this project are the Pillayarkuppam Gramapanchayat, youth at Pillaiyarkuppam Panchayat and DHAN Panchayat team as facilitator.
While we start this project, the five year term of the local body in Pudhucherry was over and there was no election conducted for the next term. So, the village Panchayat was not functioning and hence could not participate in the project. So, DHAN could continue this project by way of implementing various activities so as to enable the youth community on awareness creation, capacity building, take up volunteer works and active participation of building local governance.
The analysis of the field situation and interaction with the youth in the Pillayaarkuppam Panchayat, revealed the following issues in the village
To address the issues and concerns observed among the youth in pillaiyarkuppam panchayat we initiated a series of activities with the involvement of the youth.
Steps were taken for organizing the youth community in Pillaiyarkuppam panchayat. The youth forum was initiated with 18 youth and gradually it was strengthened by increasing the membership up to 40. This youth forum conducted monthly meeting regularly and discussed various issues. This served as a binding mechanism to create unity among youth and there was good co-operation among them for undertaking events.
To strengthen the youth forum, infrastructural facilities like a meeting place was needed to assemble in a place and to conduct regular meetings. One of the youth provided their unused house for this purpose and it was promoted as youth resource centre. Daily news papers and other books, materials were made available there and the youth used to visit the resource centre and passed the time more constructively. Every day around 15 – 20 persons used this centre and got benefited. Above all this centre was identified as a place for them to meet.
Events like sports and games give right kind of spirit and excitement among the youth community. So, formal sports and games events were organized so as to involve more number of youth during this project period. On 2nd September, a sports event was held and around 80 youth participated in the event. They were supported by a gathering who came as spectators. Four events organized and the winners were given prizes. During the pongal festival, there were two days event and around 160 youth both girls and boys participated in the event.
The concept of youth volunteer was seeded among the youth in pillaiyarkuppam. This was well received and the youth rendered their voluntary support for the following
The state Government took initiative to conduct local body election during middle of the year but it could not be done. During that time the pillaiyarkuppam youth around 40 persons were involving in updation of voter list. It took 2 – 3 days for doing this process perfectly.
Formal training programme on panchayat affairs was organised for the Pillaiyarkuppam youth twice. Around 20 youth were participating in the training programme. It was an opportunity to them to understand more about the role of panchayat, elected representatives and the public. It was an inspiring event for most of the participants to actively participate in the local bodies.
Among the youth in Pillaiyarkuppam, one resource person was identified to train others on yoga. He took responsibility, to give regular yoga training to the youth every Sunday morning by 7 – 8 am. Around 25 youth participated regularly.
Awareness creation on Agriculture and biodiversity and food and nutrition security was done by organizing a walkathon event for villianoor commune on 2nd Febraury, 13. Around 75 youth participated in the event and conducted a small rally and distributing handbills. Around 1500 people were benefited through this event and finally there was a public meeting where the importance of minor millets was insisted to the public.
Since the role of the panchayat was absent, DHAN played a key role in organizing the youth and empowering them to work for a common goal. DHANs initiative produced a remarkable change the attitude and life of youths in Pillaiyarkuppam panchayat.
Qualitative leadership
The leadership quality among many of the youth in pillaiyarkuppam got expressed considerably through the opportunity provided to organize public events, working for the community, taking up volunteer ship and getting more awareness and outside exposures. Our role was only initiating the things and most of our initiatives are regularly followed up by the youth because of their local leadership.
Mainstreaming youths in Pillayarkuppam panchaya is a pioneer initiative for the DHAN panchayat programme in Puducherry state. It would be strengthened by way of constant motivation and facilitation of the youth. This served as a learning process for DHAN as well as youth in Pillaiyarkuppam. This can be replicated in other panchayats in Pudhucherry. After the local body elections in Pudhucherry this year, we can motivate the panchayats to take up active role in organizing the youth in their panchayat to use their strength for more meaningful purposes.