Youth and Open Government: Joining Voices for Participatory and Inclusive Democracy (COMDE0002)
Overview
At-a-Glance
Action Plan: Action plan – Medellin, Colombia, 2025 – 2027
Inception Report: Not available
Commitment Start: Mar 2025
Commitment End: Mar 2026
Institutions involved:
- Youth Secretariat
- Youth Secretariat
- Youth Secretariat
- Liberty and Democracy Corporation
- Liberty and Democracy Corporation
- Liberty and Democracy Corporation
- Secretariat of Citizen Participation
Primary Policy Area:
Primary Sector:
OGP Value:
- Access to information
Description
Commitment ID
COMDE0002
Commitment Title
Youth and Open Government: Joining Voices for Participatory and Inclusive Democracy
Problem
In Medellín, governmental transparency faces challenges by focusing on publishing information without ensuring its appropriation by citizens, especially young people. The lack of clear-language communication strategies and access to effective digital tools limits their participation in social oversight and public processes. Although open data exists, a culture of critical use is not promoted, discouraging informed participation and increasing the risk of transparency being misused.
It is essential to strengthen a transparency management system that fosters youth-driven participatory democracy based on data. This requires developing skills such as critical thinking, public policy analysis, and recognizing diversity, promoting a more inclusive society with greater influence. Key factors affecting youth participation include the lack of well-being environments, limited opportunities, and the low recognition of youth clubs, which restricts institutional and community support. Additionally, weak youth agency, lack of resources, and disconnection from their surroundings reduce their involvement in decision-making and weaken social ties and support networks.
Status quo
The Youth Clubs program has had a significant impact in Medellín. During 2024, it was able to strengthen the processes and projects of 581 collectives, impacting more than 4,400 young people. In addition, young people were trained in technical and life skills, mentoring was carried out with referents from various sectors and economic incentives were provided to strengthen their initiatives. Knowledge exchanges, the Youth Clubs Festival and strategic alliances with the public and private sectors were also carried out.
The program has been a space of encounter, learning and transformation for young people, and has established itself as a symbol of resistance, resilience and hope.
https://observatorio.medellinjoven.com/blog/conoce-a-los-clubes-juveniles-de-medellin-402
Action
The commitment is to enhance the impact of district transparency practices through participation in Medellin\'s youth clubs, promoting a system of active listening and effective communication between the State and young people. This involves strengthening the agency capacities of young people, providing them with tools for decision making in their neighborhoods, communes and / or districts, We seek to expand the network of youth clubs from 583 to 800, articulating efforts with the Secretariat of Citizen Culture and territorial media to ensure direct accountability and dissemination of relevant information. As a result, it is expected that young people will appropriate transparency as a right and a tool to strengthen informed advocacy, promoting a participatory and inclusive democracy.
The overall objective is to transform transparency into a dynamic, accessible and effective communication process that empowers young people as key actors in local public management.
How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem described above?
The commitment contributes to solving the problem by transforming transparency into a dynamic communication process, in clear, accessible and effective language that allows young people to appropriate public information as a tool to strengthen their capacity for informed advocacy. By expanding the network of youth clubs and strengthening their capacity for agency, spaces for informed participation are generated, counteracting the lack of welfare environments and opportunities for growth. The articulation with the Secretariat of Citizen Culture and territorial media makes it possible to make visible and recognize the role of youth clubs, encouraging their institutional and community support. In addition, by implementing a system of active listening and direct accountability, the gaps between young people and the State are closed, promoting effective participation in decision-making and avoiding the instrumentalization of transparency. Finally, strengthening capacities such as critical thinking and public policy analysis fosters a participatory democracy that empowers young people and consolidates support networks in their communities.
What long-term goal as identified in your Open Government Strategy does this commitment relate to?
Promote the active participation of citizens in decision making and public management, including the formation of working networks and the support of communities and social leaders.
Involve citizens from school to promote a culture of participation and social control.
Primary Policy Area
Civic Space, Inclusion
Primary Sector
Education, Other/NA
What OGP value is this commitment relevant to?
| Access to information | A strategic vision on Transparency invites us to enhance communication processes in clear language, through the consolidation of tools that allow citizens, especially youth, to appropriate these mechanisms in an innovative and disruptive way. This implies reaching out to communities and promoting the appropriate use of digital tools, thus strengthening informed and effective participation. The use of communication is One of our main challenges as government entities is to learn how to effectively communicate the strategies to bring transparency to communities and territories, with a priority focus on early youth. |