Thread by @unhabitatyouth

We’re on! @UNODC & @unhabitatyouth @UNHABITAT on Youth Crime Prevention.

Risk-taking, substance abuse, crime: we need to develop lifeskills in Youth if we want to help Youth cope in a healthy way with negative pressures. - Dr Tayoob

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Another issue: health. What is it? Not just your own body, but social, community, coping-skills of peers, and so forth.

Need multidimensional thinking for #Youth4Communitysafety
#urbanoctober

Drug-prevention issues:

Messaging is part of the response, but not enough.

Drug-use-prevention is about positive engagement of Youth to realise their potential and make them contributing members of society. - Hussein Manji

#Youth4Communitysafety
#urbanoctober

Prevention interventions happen

- before drug use starts,
- once they started using drugs to prevent health and social consequences
- once it is a disorder and they need treatment.

So that we can achieve recovery from each stage.

#Youth4Communitysafety
#UrbanOctober

Genetic factors matter as a ‘switch’, but environmental factors are dials.

No one individual factor contributes to addiction. They interact in positive and negative ways.

Threshold of danger for abuse depends on individual.

#Youth4Communitysafety
#UrbanOctober

Macro and micro factors intersect.

Neglectful parenting, substance abuse by parents and environment, anti-social peers and lack of role-models.

So, how and where to intervene?

#Youth4Communitysafety
#UrbanOctober

We can intervene at

Family
School
Community
etc levels.

Takeaway: each is useful for a different kind of intervention and could even be counterproductive if not properly used or wrong level of intervention applied.

#Youth4Communitysafety
#UrbanOctober

Key: engage normative factors. Make Youth see themselves as positive agents.

The earlier the better.

Spill-over effects for personal and community health.

We have the evidence and policy strategies, but need to mainstream more.

#Youth4Communitysafety
#UrbanOctober

Sharmaarke Abdullahi:

Resilience, building protective factors of young people: we need more positive engagement of Youth.

Next we will talk about our #OneStopYouthCentres

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

#OneStopYouthCentres

Young people need public space that is safe and gives them an opportunity to get training to act on opportunities.

We do training on IT, book-keeping, entrepreneurship, financial literacy: small and big interventions.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Governments and private sector create opportunities, but Youth need matching skills.

Our centres are also volunteerism: we have Youth who engaged in crime, who had friends shot and who now help clean up Nairobi river, get another chance.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

It is about creating non-discriminating spaces, be it about gender or other.

Young people need a place to be heard, to engage constructively, talk to policy-makers, talk about issues and solutions for their communities.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Young people are part and parcel of the solution.

They take the lead in our centres.

We hope we can set up Centres in every county. How will we do this?

Identify and meet local stakeholders
Mobilise them
Build consensus of what challenges exist
Create a steering committee

Mobilise Youth and their communities so they can start taking the wheel whilst initial stakeholders give financial and in-kind support for mapped-out resource needs.

From here we can go establish the centre.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

We need safe, accessible, youth friendly space, well sized and furnished and land and political will given along with stable funding and support.

Then: youth-led programmes, a genuine role for youth in governance issues, and always in the context of Do No Harm.

What is Do No Harm?

Sometimes our programmes can harm communities, don't meet the needs of communities.

This is also why we have an accreditation program: f ex: how do you serve the needs of young girls and women in your community?

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Now on to Slum Upgrading by @UNHABITAT

5 Slum Deprivations

1. Security of Tenure
2. Safe and affordable drinking water
3. Overcrowding
4. Sanitation and
5. Durability of Dwellings

Our strength:

- Mainstreaming participatory decision making
- Climate Change considerations
...

- Gender Equity
- Human Rights approach and
- Socio-Economic empowerment of slum dwellers.

We want to move away from the criminalisation of these spaces (slums) .

Slum-dwellers often feel there is no governance and formal structures don't exist. Thus: participatory governance.

Youth key in this for bottom-up legitimacy.

As urbanisation rates go up, ever more people live in slum areas. Key issues that need local data-gathering which can be done by Youth, and then acted on by Youth.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Important for @UNHABITAT : city-wide approach to prevent new slums springing up and improve existing ones.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNHABITAT One of our youth-leaders from Mathare One Stop Youth Centre talking about #Waste2Wealth and how it connects to crime.

When Kaka (Brother in Swahili) grew up in Mathare and talks about losing two friends to crime.

No opportunities for youth = crime rises

#Youth4CommunitySafety

Kaka seeks to create opportunities through garbage collection, which brings Youth together with the community, creates employment, and transforms young people

But: generational challenge!

New Youth-generation is big, resources limited.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

"One Stop Youth Centres need to be supported more".

The spaces Youth have secured through their volunteered time and work.

We need to build platforms for them to talk about the issues affecting their lives, support their ideas.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

"I want to challenge everyone here to not see young people as the problem, but see Youth as a tool to transform the world into a better place." - Kaka

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNODC asking: what makes sense from a scientific impact perspective, how to involve governments, how to assure implementation.

Need evidence-based interventions directly engaging with communities.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNODC @VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Kaka talking about the importance of mapping slums: if it's not mapped it doesn't exist.

Cannot meet authorities without formal data backing you up.

Kaka mobilised Youth to map Mathare to push for change.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNODC @VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Abdikadir Hassan from the Mandera One Stop Youth Centre talking about lobbying the County Assembly for a Youth budget.

The centre hasn't been launched since 2016 because County has no budget for Youth.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Abdikadir now talking about training Youth in mobile phone repairs.

Highlights: we must follow-up trainings with toolkits for Youth to start up a business.

Create a safe-space for Youth to earn a living, learn, become agents of change.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Another example: Youth walks in Mandera.

Give opportunity for Youth to own the space, and by so take care of it.

But we need more resources. Make them strong. Learn from other centers. Actualise potential.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Hon Patriciah Musyimi

Before politics, she started an organisation working on female extremism.

But first points out: Kaka, Hassan, herself are all products of Youth centres. What can we learn from this?

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Hon Patriciah Musyimi

It's a game of numbers in politics: we need civic education so people know their rights and demand them in.

Politicians always come to informal settlements for votes, but afterwards...

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Hon Patriciah Musyimi

We need informal settlement policies. Recognition that they exist, recognition for the people there.

We need partnerships, awareness. Practice it in churches, mosques, One Stop Centres.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Hon Patriciah Musyimi

We need to know our rights, and exercise them. We should have a legal team in every centre that can reach the people in their language and where they stand.

Urbanisation does not wait.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Hon Patriciah Musyimi

If we don't engage in public participation, nothing will change.

(She asks people to raise their hand of those who have done this... most people have not)

"I will leave you with that."

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Austin from Fútbol Más talking now.

Learn it in the field, learn it for life. Football as a tool to teach lifeskills.

Greencard system: instead of punishment, reward for positive actions.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Austin:

We teach on violence, drug-abuse, gender violence...

We call it #resilienceskills or as you'd say: lifeskills.

This helps children in their life, when they grow up: confidence, teamwork, autonomy.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Austin:

In Mandare and Kibera, we work in informal areas: violence and drug-abuse... every week on the football field, we teach them about one social issue.

Because we train the children, we have a baseline and end-line evaluation.

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Austin:

Teamwork, joy, creativity, responsibility, and respect.

We give children a green card when they show this kind of behaviour: encourages them to act on this at home, school, in the community.

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Austin:

We teach youth on CVs, getting internships in a community where most are jobless.

We work with parents to organise our program: alone we will not succeed. Involving all stakeholders however...

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Austin:

We mix boys and girls: we want every child to have a role to play. Involve the whole community, teach resilience through action.

@VictorKisob

@MaimunahSharif

@UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC @NMKyamutetera Acting Chair Africa Youth Commission

Issue of the gap: how does Youth from Kibera get access to opportunities?

Who represents their views?

AYC seeks to fill that gap.

@VictorKisob

@MaimunahSharif

@UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@NMKyamutetera Acting Chair Africa Youth Commission

Different consortiums of Youth organisations come together across the continent.

Making it easy for international donors to support grassroots.

@VictorKisob

@MaimunahSharif

@UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@NMKyamutetera

Also ask big questions: what is the future of work in Africa?

We lobby and engage with leaders on the continent with the voices of our Youth organisations.

@VictorKisob

@MaimunahSharif

@UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@NMKyamutetera

Cooperation with @UNODC and others is crucial to raise Youth organisations' voice.

@VictorKisob

@MaimunahSharif

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Eduardo Muiruri:

Inspired by Vision2030: where there is a project there is a supply of jobs. We want Youth to realise their socio-economic potential and unleash it.

@VictorKisob

@MaimunahSharif

@UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Eduardo Muiruri:

Youth entrepreneurship solves local problems.

Building agri-business: we support and have value-addition centres: we won't sell raw product but create value.

@VictorKisob

@MaimunahSharif

@UNODC

#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Eduardo Muiruri:

Finding niches and look at what people complain about.

We offer Youth opportunities to start and build companies.

Most Youth in Kenya is educated, but can't find a job. So what now?

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Eduardo Muiruri: we want Youth to create their own opportunities and jobs, take it in their hands.

But this must go hand-in-hand with Youth being included in decision-making.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Eduardo Muiruri:

Education here means getting African Youth into competitions such as WTO Moot Courts.

Strathmore Youth won it just the other year after no African Youth ever competing before.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Eduardo Muiruri:

We need and want multipurpose buildings. Where Youth can engage with professionals, can be trained, can be repurposed.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Hon Patriciah Musyimi

Talking about the issue of who attends public participation meetings: often fringe people, not the Youth or average citizen.

This makes it hard from a legislator's perspective.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Hon Patriciah Musyimi

We must be closer to the communities we are supposed to serve, we must go back often, and we must improve quality of public participation meetings.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Hon Patriciah Musyimi

Why do we put up carwashes in informal settlements? No one drives there. We need to get priorities straight. We need to be responsive to real issues.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Hon Patriciah Musyimi

Public participation not these Youths' priority.

We can reach out to informed Youth by working with mentors, guide them through these processes.

Needs to be a continuous process.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Intervention by Youth: how many Youth read the newspaper?

How do we use new media to engage the Youth? There they will take part.

Other participant: I am frustrated that people say Youth does not participate in public forums. There are court-cases where Youth was not engaged.

cont: what is public participation?
Since I was born I was told I am the future of this country.

But now what? Billions were stolen from the Youth Fund: Youth cannot just all become entrepreneurs.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

cont: we need to support Youth to get paid for the work they do.

Issue of trade-barriers, VISA between African countries, all this cannot be blamed on Youth or solved by Youth entrepreneurship.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Participant: informed Youth may not engage in participatory exercises because they don't have the time, barriers like transport fees, etc

We need other ways to engage: virtual townhalls, digital feedback mechanisms...

@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNODC Issue of data-base: where do we have Youth Centres? Where do we need new ones?

How do we assure sustainability? One Stop Youth Centres a great answer to that challenge.

Follow-up on recommendations...

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

... we need Youth in governance to inform projects by government, assure follow-up.

We've had a number of trainings on issues of health, entrepreneurship, and County could learn from this + projects we implemented. -Wainaina Muriruri
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNODC Some of our best sportsmen have been trained through these Centres!

Entry-point for Youth & communities to challenge and work with County.

Need this kind of multi-level exchange.

-Wainaina Muiruri

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNODC @VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Challenge of: communicating the importance of investments to grassroots level to politicians.

Youth not usually prioritised.

Will work on removing roadblocks of Youth.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@UNODC @VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif Participant from Madare: Not every Youth can engage in garbage collection. Many girls have no finance: how can we support them to do beauty and other things?

Get them away from (survival-)prostitution?

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

Question of: how do we market to young girls about vocational centres? Do they have the money to get to centres? Do they know of them?

Hon Patriciah: issue also of older generation leading campaigns.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Issue of boys being frustrated by responsibilities given to them without answers of how to do them.

Gendered discussion must include the girl-child and boy-child equally.

But remember differences exist.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Issue of sustainability: programs are started, but what happens after a few years?

In many developing countries, partnerships with private sector can help. Corporate Social Responsibility lacking often.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC How to engage partners not in the room?

Sharmaarke Abdullahi: who is in the room, around the room, outside the room?

Do we capture their voices?

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC We broke into groups to go beyond being a talk-shop and talk about concrete action and takeaways.

From the coffee-break discussions, participants are already talking about new projects and partnerships!

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

We will upload photos, presentations, and outcomes in the following days for those present in the room, but more importantly still: those of you following us here.

Knowledge needs to be able to leave conference rooms.

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC Also sending thanks to the many participants from different sectors and levels attending. Cross-pollinating ideas and best practices, not reinventing the wheel but finding ways to improve and scale up = 🗝️

@VictorKisob
@MaimunahSharif
@UNODC
#Youth4CommunitySafety
#UrbanOctober

@VictorKisob @MaimunahSharif @UNODC unroll @threadreaderapp