Civic Engagement

Half of the world’s population is below the age of 30 — the largest generation of young people humanity has ever seen. However, youth remain politically underrepresented and excluded from decision-making on issues that affect their lives (less than 2% of parliamentarians are under 30!). Not only does this make young people feel that their voices do not matter; it also neglects the reality that throughout history, young people have been at the forefront of some of the world’s most influential social and political change movements.

At Search, we recognize the power and potential of young people as changemakers. In programs around the world, we work with young people and decision makers to enable constructive civic engagement and build open societies. Our programs – from youth leadership councils and citizen journalism, to youth-led town hall meetings and reality TV shows – facilitate dialogue across divides,and provide young people with the opportunity to exercise their agency and autonomy in effecting concrete, positive change in their societies.

Featured Projects Unis Pour La Paix: Youth And Women Engage In the Democratic Process - In 2013, our Niger team launched a project to develop youth leadership and political engagement, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy. In Niger, and particularly in the region of Zinder, there are youth groups known as fadas or palais who commonly resort to violence as a mean […] Strengthening Citizen Participation and Democracy - Our reality TV show "The President" stars young Palestinian leaders competing to become the next President of the country. Empowering Young Change Makers in Tunisia - In order to empower youth leaders to become the protagonists of Tunisia’s democracy, we are sponsoring Youth Leadership Councils and local youth organizations across the country. A Youth-Led Platform for Citizen Journalism - Thanks to the popularization of digital technologies, citizen journalism is now an essential aspect of a functioning democracy. Many people, and especially youth, already act as amateur reporters through social media, voicing their opinions and influencing the public debate. In Tunisia, we recognized an opportunity to hone the journalistic skills of […] Youth Engagement to Promote Stability (YEPS) - The Youth Engagement to Promote Stability (YEPS) project aims to transform the way Timorese youth engage with government and community leaders, promote peace and reconciliation, and prevent election-related violence by bridging the gap between youth and socio-political structures. YEPS also seeks to prevent conflict through the innovative usage […] Civic education and free information in Zinder - Located far from the capital, the Zinder region of Niger borders Northeastern Nigeria where Boko Haram is based. Zinder suffers from periodic famines, extreme poverty, and high levels of criminality, including gender-based violence and the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and human beings. These issues, coupled with a scarcely […] Tamils in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country - The Tamils living in Sri Lanka’s Hill Country represent one of the country’s most economically disenfranchised groups. The majority of the population earns their living working on tea plantations, often performing grueling tasks. To increase civic participation in the area, particularly among young people, we have been working […] Increasing Civic Participation of Urban Youth - More and more young people are realizing that they have the power to change their community through dialogue and local engagement. We’re working with young people to encourage their participation in society and local governance as positive leaders for the future. Through competitions, online social media, radio, and […] Pathways to Peace Program: Final Evaluation - The Pathways to Peace program (P2P) was implemented by Search for Common Ground in partnership with Youth Initiative, Association of Youth Organizations in Nepal, Youth Action, and Y! Magazine. The program sought to structurally transform the way that youth participate in the civic and political arena so that […] PROMOTING YOUTH AS ACTIVE CITIZENS IN THE HILL COUNTRY OF SRI LANKA – The lush, green landscape of Sri Lanka’s Hill Country is the cradle of the world-renowned Ceylon tea empire. But these verdant hills are also home to the country’s most impoverished population. Known as Hill Country or Plantation Tamils, they are the mainspring of the country’s most prized export, the labor force[…]