Empowerment or Frustration?

Participatory Programming with Young Palestinians

Abstract

*Arab Countries of the Middle East and North Africa | Research Articles

In recent years, the participation of children and youth has become a fashionable aim among development organizations and the donors that support them. A growing number of projects and initiatives have resulted. It is rare, however, that such participation achieves either sustained change in social attitudes towards young people or increased involvement of the young in decision-making processes within the wider society. In that sense, young people’s participation remains within a virtual box. Drawing upon the experience of the Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation (PYALARA)—a youth organization operating within the Occupied Palestinian Territory since the late 1990s—this article explores the challenges of promoting the participation of children and youth in the face of immense political, physical, social and cultural constraints. It also considers how we might estimate impact in terms of change at the personal, societal and institutional levels.