scholarly journals Youth Can Promote Marine Debris Concern and Policy Support Among Local Voters and Political Officials

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenna M. Hartley ◽  
Kathryn T. Stevenson ◽  
M. Nils Peterson ◽  
Elizabeth A. DeMattia ◽  
Savannah Paliotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Marine Debris ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Intergenerational Learning ◽  
Local Officials ◽  
Political Differences

Many of the most sweeping social movements throughout history have been youth-led, including those related to environmental challenges. Emerging research suggests youth can build environmental concern among parents via intergenerational learning, in some cases overcoming socio-ideological differences that normally stymie attempts at collective action. What has not been studied is the potential for youth to also influence adults outside their immediate families. This study based in North Carolina, USA, explores the potential of today's young people as environmental change-agents in their communities on the topic of marine debris. Specifically, this evaluation examines responses from voters and local officials after participating in youth-led civic engagement events. After engaging with a youth-led civic engagement event, voters, and local officials completed a retrospective pretest survey that asked questions about levels of marine debris concern and their likelihood of supporting a local marine debris ordinance. Young people encouraged both concern and policy support among both voters and officials, and that concern and policy support increased independently of whether adults were voters or officials, liberals or conservatives, or knew the students personally. Further, participation in the youth-led engagement event reduced political differences in marine debris concern. This study suggests youth can play a critical role addressing marine debris challenges by promoting support for marine debris management policy, and doing so across political barriers.

Developing the Leadership Potential of African Youth Through Online Communities

2022 ◽  
pp. 408-424
Author(s):  
Lanoi Maloiy ◽  
Jocelyn Cranefield
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Young People ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Online Communities ◽  
Youth Civic Engagement ◽  
Leadership Potential ◽  
Facilitating Factors ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
African Youth ◽  
Two Barriers

This chapter draws on the results of an explorative, qualitative study that investigated how online communities can facilitate civic engagement amongst Millennials. Based on the study's findings, the chapter explores how the use of online communities can assist and empower youth, particularly African young people, to overcome barriers, empower and foster civic engagement. This chapter begins with a review of key literature, and then a summary of the study methodology, followed by a discussion of the study findings and their potential for African youth. Results of the study indicated that five facilitating factors and two barriers were influential towards youth civic engagement in an online context. Adult perceptions of youth and the low credibility of online communities were found to act as significant barriers to online youth participation. Given these key findings from the study, the authors show how to employ online communities to engage African youth civic participation and decision making.

Community-based Disaster Management and Its Salient Features: A Policy Approach to People-centred Risk Reduction in Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Abul Kalam Azad ◽  
M. Salim Uddin ◽  
Sabrina Zaman ◽  
Mirza Ali Ashraf
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Government

The discourse of disaster management has undergone significant change in recent years, shifting from relief and response to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and community-based management. Organisations and vulnerable countries engaged in DRR have moved from a reactive, top-down mode to proactive, community-focused disaster management. In this article, we focus on how national disaster management policy initiatives in Bangladesh are implementing community-based approaches at the local level and developing cross-scale partnerships to reduce disaster risk and vulnerability, thus enhancing community resilience to disasters. We relied chiefly on secondary data, employing content analysis for reviewing documents, which were supplemented by primary data from two coastal communities in Kalapara Upazila in Patuakhali District. Our findings revealed that to address the country’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters, the Government of Bangladesh has developed and implemented numerous national measures and policies over the years with the aim of strengthening community-focused risk reduction, decentralising disaster management, developing cross-scale partnerships and enhancing community resilience. Communities are working together to achieve an all-hazard management goal, accepting ownership to reduce vulnerability and actively participating in risk-reduction strategies at multiple levels. Community-based disaster preparedness activities are playing a critical role in developing their adaptive capacity and resilience to disasters. Further policy and research are required for a closer examination of the dynamics of community-based disaster management, the role of local-level institutions and community organisations in partnerships and resilience building for successful disaster management.

LibraryCraft – how the COVID-19 pandemic led to the growth of the WA libraries public Minecraft server

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-388
Author(s):  
Jayne Cleave ◽  
John Geijsman
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Economic Management ◽  
Content Type

Purpose LibraryCraft was created to bring communities together across Western Australia (WA) in a safe, structured and moderated way so that players could stretch their creativity and imagination. LibraryCraft uses the features of Minecraft that stretch users’ innovation and creative thinking, develops their STEAM skills and builds social and life skills such as collaboration, negotiation, economic management and civic engagement. Design/methodology/approach In late 2019, the Fremantle Library launched a small, local Minecraft server for the local community of young people. After several months of testing and upgrades, LibraryCraft was made available to all players aged 7–17 across WA, and WA local governments were invited to participate. Findings The COVID-19 pandemic led to a cancellation of Fremantle Library in-person programmes; LibraryCraft, as a purely online programme, was scaled up, and in a few weeks, had more than tripled its player base. At the time of writing, LibraryCraft brings together 20 WA local councils, reaches over 100 players from Derby-West Kimberley to Albany and sees hundreds of play hours logged each week. Players have created new friendships across the state and are regularly working collaboratively on challenges and exploration. Originality/value While Minecraft servers operated by libraries are far from new, LibraryCraft is unique. No groups of libraries have run Minecraft servers collaboratively in Australia before, and none is available state wide. The programme is highly valued with families in WA, providing a safe social outlet for players stuck at home in isolation.

International Policies on Inclusion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronagh Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
National Policy ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Global Consensus ◽  
International Policies ◽  
Underlying Principle ◽  
The World

The education of children and young people with disabilities and the appropriate form this should take is an issue with which countries across the world are grappling. This challenge has not been assisted by the diverse interpretations of “inclusion” within and between States. The international community, in the form of the United Nations (UN), its associated treaty bodies, and its related agencies have taken on an increasingly critical role in working with countries to develop some kind of global consensus on how inclusion should be defined, its core features, and what it should look like in practice. The conclusions of discussions on these issues have emerged in the form of declarations, treaties, general comments, and guidelines, which countries across the world are expected to adhere to, to varying extents. Together, these constitute a set of international policies and benchmarks on inclusion in an educational context, informing and shaping contemporary national policy and practice. At its core is the underlying principle that children and young people with disabilities have a fundamental right to education without discrimination. Examination of international discourse on inclusion indicates that its meaning, form, and content has become more refined, with increasing emphasis being placed on the quality of inclusive practice as opposed to merely questioning its merits.

The Effects of Limited Work Opportunities on Transitions to Adulthood among Young Refugees in Uganda and Jordan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Shand ◽  
Lorraine van Blerk ◽  
Laura Prazeres ◽  
Badru Bukenya ◽  
Rawan Ibrahim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Transitions To Adulthood ◽  
The Social ◽  
Displaced Children ◽  
Legal Restrictions ◽  
Individual Ability ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Young people constitute more than half of global refugee populations, yet there is limited research into the impact of displacement on transitions into adult life. With the average period of protracted displacement extending beyond 20 years, insight is needed into how the experience of being a refugee shapes the expectations and lives of young people. This article examines the effects of weak and restricted labour markets on the transitions of young refugees into adulthood. Drawing from research undertaken with displaced children and youth in Uganda and Jordan, the article explores how a lack of work opportunities affects individual ability to achieve financial independence and, more widely, to obtain the social recognition associated with adulthood. The research finds how a dependence on precarious work and the effects of legal restrictions on employment curtail transitions to adulthood, highlighting the importance of national and humanitarian policy support to help young refugees establish stable livelihoods.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Young People’s Intention toward Municipal Solid Waste Sorting

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Shen ◽  
Hongyun Si ◽  
Lei Yu ◽  
Haolun Si
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Moral Obligation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
The Government

With the rapid growth of urban economy and population in China, the output of municipal solid waste (MSW) has dramatically increased becoming a constant threat to residents’ living environment and health. The classification intention of residents plays a pivotal role in solving the problem of MSW disposal. While numerous studies have examined the classification behavior of MSW from the perspective of ordinary residents and households, few studies have attempted to understand young people’s sorting intention. The novelty of this research is to explore the determinants that affect young people’s intention toward municipal solid waste sorting (MSWS) by extending the predictive factors of environmental concern and personal moral obligation into the theory of planned behavior (TPB). A sample of 524 young respondents from Hebei Province in China were used to conduct a structural equation model (SEM) validation. The empirical results revealed that, according to the rankings of significance, personal moral obligation, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm had positive influences on young people’s intention toward MSWS, while attitude and environmental concern did not. Furthermore, the multi-group comparison showed that, compared with the male and rural group, the intention of female and urban respondents to classify MSW was not affected by subjective norms. Some targeted managerial implications were ultimately proposed to promote young people’s intention toward MSWS. This study contributes to the existing knowledge system of MSWS by revealing the classification intention of young people as a group. The findings and implications provide the government with useful insights for encouraging young people to actively participate in MSWS.

scholarly journals Transitioning to Aboriginal community control of primary health care: the process and strategies of one community-controlled health organisation in Queensland

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal Jongen ◽  
Sandra Campbell ◽  
Janya McCalman ◽  
Ruth Fagan ◽  
Kingsley Pearson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
State Government ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Community Control ◽  
Emotional Wellbeing ◽  
Aboriginal Community ◽  
Successful Transition ◽  
Organisational Capacity

Abstract Background Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) play a critical role in providing culturally appropriate, accessible primary healthcare (PHC) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. The success of many ACCHSs has led to increased policy support for their growth and development, including the transition of state government administered PHC services to Aboriginal community control in select communities. However, there is minimal published literature available which evaluates such transitions. This paper reports on an evaluation of one ACCHS (Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service)‘s experience of transitioning local PHC services to community control in Yarrabah, Queensland, with a focus on the processes and strategies which were implemented to achieve successful transition. Methods Data was collected from interviews with key personnel involved in the transition and organisational documents from the evaluation period. Face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted with 14 key stakeholders, audio-recorded and transcribed with written consent. Historical organisational documents were provided by Gurriny. All interview transcripts and documents were imported into NVIVO, coded and analysed using grounded theory methods. Results Gurriny’s journey of achieving community control of PHC in Yarrabah entailed an almost 30 year process of building and demonstrating organisational capacity. The first stage (1986 to 2004) was focused on establishing and developing a community-controlled health service and the second stage (2005–14) on preparing for the transition. Formal handover occurred in June 2014. Stage one strategies included: addressing community social and emotional wellbeing; consulting the community; collaborating with researchers; and, strategically building services, organisation capacity and stakeholder trust. Stage two strategies were: communicating and engaging with stakeholders; ensuring strong governance; planning and developing the services and workforce; assuring quality; and, financial planning, management and modelling. Conclusion Achieving successful transition to community control of PHC for Gurriny entailed a lengthy process of substantial, ongoing organisational growth and development. Gurriny’s experience provides a framework for both governments and the ACCHS sector to inform future transitions of PHC services to Aboriginal community control.

scholarly journals Social values and civic behaviour among youth in Ireland: The influence of social contexts

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-64
Author(s):  
Charlotte Silke ◽  
Bernadine Brady ◽  
Pat Dolan ◽  
Ciara Boylan
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Western World ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Youth Civic Engagement ◽  
Civic Attitudes ◽  
Civic Values ◽  
The Social

As youth civic engagement is widely considered important for social cohesion and democracy, concerns have been expressed regarding a perceived decline in civic and political engagement among young people throughout the western world. While research has shown that the social environment is influential in terms of the development of civic values, knowledge and behaviours among youth, limited research has been conducted on these issues in an Irish context. Drawing on survey research conducted with 167 young people aged 12–15 years in Irish secondary schools, this paper examines young people's civic attitudes and behaviours and how they are linked to their social contexts. Findings indicate that youth report high levels of social responsibility values but low engagement in both online and offline civic engagement. Furthermore, while parent, peer, school and/or community contexts were found to have a significant influence on youths' social responsibility values and offline civic behaviours, youth's online civic behaviours were not connected to these social environments. This study provides insights into the socialisation of civic values and behaviours among young people in Ireland and highlights the importance of investigating the link between the social context and different forms of youth civic involvement.

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