Children and Young People Build Participatory Democracy in Latin American Cities

Abstract

This paper presents case studies from four cities in Latin America—Cotatachi in Ecuador, Barra Mansa and Icapui in Brazil, and Ciudad Guyana in Venezuela—all of which involved initiatives to foster the active participation of children and young people in the governance of their cities. It describes the larger context in each case, the methods used to involve young people, the process as it evolved over time, the challenges experienced, and the impact of the initiatives. All four projects included the adoption of participatory budgeting as an approach to participation by young people. The paper concludes with a discussion of the lessons drawn from these cases.