Open Governance Can Channel Youth Protests into Future-Proofed Systems

It has been a turbulent few months around the world as youth-led protests have roiled countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria. 

Much of the analysis of these protests has focused on the perceived and inter-related causes, which include economic hardship and corruption; how the protests were organized, with an emphasis on social media and online storytelling; and how governments have responded, with both unnecessary force and insufficient concessions leaving much to be desired. These observations have been backed by data, particularly in relation to high unemployment levels and unsustainable public debt. These factors, among others, indicate that these protests might be the first of many more.

As usual, governments (both in these countries and elsewhere) seem to have been taken by surprise by these visible outbursts of youth-driven activism. In fact, young people are constantly organizing, collaborating and advocating for their rights—repeatedly even, in these same countries over the past few years, such as the #endSARS protests in Nigeria in 2020 or the cost of living protests in Kenya last year. During this year’s protests in Kenya, the viral video of a youthRecognizing that investing in youth means investing in a better future, OGP participating governments are creating meaningful opportunities for youth to participate in government processes. Technical ... protester inhaling tear gas in defiance of the state’s crowd dispersal methods cemented the resolve of many others to support the movement. And as this digital age matures, it has ushered in a new way of experiencing and participating in popular protests, with supporters and discontented citizens living thousands of miles away but able to have their voices heard in real time.

In fact, many young people would prefer not to protest. And those we speak to through our work at Accountability Lab and the Open Government Partnership (OGP) indicate in many cases that even where there is deep distrust of government, they would welcome the opportunity to work with power holders to improve their societies, if given the chance. But too often they have to make their voices heard outside of government systems that do not recognize the value of their insights, perspectives, and ideas. Often these forms of active citizenship turn out to be very dangerous for young people. Government clampdowns can mean disappearances, violence, and death. And while access to fast-traveling social content means these losses can be amplified and used to pressure governments, they are still incurred. As we have written about previously, young people see themselves not as revolutionaries or trouble-makers but as sources of “good trouble” if their actions can create pathways to ensure that they are included in decision-making.  

Through OGP, we have been working to build a global collective of young people that can co-create these pathways and share ideas and lessons around collaborative youth engagement in OGP member countries and beyond. Over 40 percent of OGP’s 75 member countries and 152 local government members today are currently implementing a youth-related commitmentOGP commitments are promises for reform co-created by governments and civil society and submitted as part of an action plan. Commitments typically include a description of the problem, concrete action..., focusing on areas such as participation in government decision-making, employment, and improving educationAccountability within the public education system is key to improving outcomes and attainment, and accountability is nearly impossible without transparent policies and opportunities for participation ... systems.

In the past year alone, for example, Sierra Leone has committed to including businesses run by young people in public works programs. In Europe, Malta has pledged to facilitate access to information around justice issues for minors, while Ukraine has developed an e-youth digital platform to provide real-time information on opportunities for young people and Albania has established a youth database to better track youth-focused policy outcomes. 

In 2022, Accountability Lab and OGP developed an OGP Youth Toolkit, which outlined how young people and governments (both national and local) can facilitate these kinds of commitments and drive progress towards them. The toolkit includes examples from such as Chile’s youth citizen participation manual, Morocco’s creative approaches to conduct outreach to young people around legislative issues and efforts in Elgeyo Marakwet (Kenya) to create secure and dedicated spaces and mechanisms to facilitate the participation of youth and other special interest groups in planning, budgeting, and policy priority-setting. The Youth Engagement Power Plan, embedded in the OGP Youth Toolkit, serves as a checklist to meaningfully engage young people in action planAction plans are at the core of a government’s participation in OGP. They are the product of a co-creation process in which government and civil society jointly develop commitments to open governmen... co-creation, implementation, and evaluation.

These are the kinds of efforts governments should be making now to future-proof themselves from the youth-driven upheavals we are seeing around the world. Such reforms require a shift in mindset among leaders to see young people as collaborators and co-creators, not adversaries and trouble-makers. Success requires an understanding that young people as a group are not monolithic and that their identities are intersectional, so a focus on inclusion more broadly is essential. It also means understanding how to reach people “where they are,” rather than where those in power might want them to be, which can be achieved through the use of creative and arts-driven approaches. It also requires doubling down on creating opportunities and innovative networking and capacity buildingEnhancing the skills, abilities, and processes of public servants, civil society, and citizens is essential to achieving long-lasting results in opening government. Technical specifications: Set of ac... programs for younger generations. 

Those in power exclude young people from decision-making at their peril. According to the 2024 African Youth Survey, 60% of young people across the continent want to leave their countries due to corruption. Without them, governance will only become dramatically more difficult. Governments would do well to proactively support youth participation and ensure that young people have a stake in their political systems. There is no doubt that such engagement efforts will lead to more cohesive societies and more sustainable development outcomes in the long run. If governments ignore their young people, we should not be surprised the next time youthful civic energyEnsuring universal access to sustainable, dependable, and affordable energy is critical to every aspect of prosperity. Increasing public oversight and transparency in the energy sector can help to ens... is transformed into politically consequential protests.