Youth as Institution Builders: The CDO YOUTH CODE Advocacy

"We are hoping to define a new form of youth activism and inspire a new way of looking at politics starting in our small circles of influence."

The Oro Youth Development Council in its 6^th month is steadily positioning itself as a policy-advocacy and community organizing coalition of youth organizations. Its primary policy advocacy is the enactment of a local youth code that defines the rights,and obligations of both the youth and the local government unit. It also creates a youth council composed of youth sectors (Out of School, In School, Faith-Based, Professionals, Moro, Indigenous Peoples, Special Needs) and the youth barangay federation (composed of representatives from each sitio/barrio). They also sit in the different special barangay committees. 

This concept was introduced through the first #CDOyouthCODE meet-up last November 29, 2014 at Xavier University. Barangay youth leaders and barangay officials from the 2 districts of the city attended the meet-up.

Naga City became the first city to enact a youth code which is the first of its kind in the whole nation. Proceeding from this, the OYDC hopes to spur conversations in the grassroots level on the benefits of this kind of legislation in our own city. The initial strategy is to start in the barangays and then slowly move up to the City Council.

Sangguniang Kabataan to Multi-Sectoral Youth Federations

The suspension of the SK has allowed alternative forms of barangay-based multi-sectoral organizations to flourish in the city. These federations are still in its infancy however it has demonstrated certain strengths that highlights the weaknesses of the SK structure.

For one, the youth federations are larger in scope since it has youth chapters in each zone in the barangay. Thus, it has grass roots reach and it is more inclusive in form.

The age bracket is also wider since it follows the NYC definition of “youth”(15-30 years old). This allows greater transmission of skill sets from older leaders to younger leaders. This also ensures greater sustainability since older peers can train the younger generation.

Volunteerism is also given great value since there is generally no compensation for personal services in a youth federation. Their only benefits are derived from free snacks, public recognition and a sense of accomplishment. This set-up can possibly insulate them also from the temptations of political power and its incidents. Furthermore, they are primarily driven by their sense of service to their immediate community.

There is leadership flexibility and ownership also since they have the freedom to craft their own constitution and by-laws. They can agree on the term of the leaders and also the manner of leadership transitions. They can also agree on their own branding as well.

See: http://oroyouthcouncil.blogspot.com/2014/10/cdoyouthcode.html

Becoming an Ordinance

These are just some of the benefits that youth federations have demonstrated in its infancy. We have to sustain these gains by capacitating them and communicating their benefits to the greater community. In the policy-front, the OYDC hopes that all 80 Barangays will facilitate the creation of their own youth federations. The Barangay Youth Code exactly does this by institutionalizing this mechanism and mandating youth representation in barangay special bodies.

We do not have to rush. The barangay can experiment and sense the receptiveness of their young constituents over this idea. If this effort is sustained in the long term, we are seeing a more dynamic and vibrant youth sector in our locality that does not only organize the all-too-familiar sports and recreation but who actually mobilize peers over issues and policies that have bearing in their future.

This experience in engaging policies that they can see and feel in their own neighborhood brings tremendous educational value. It teaches the youth that building a stronger democracy requires a change in the structure and the behavior of the people. It cannot be done by elections alone. Governance is a everyone’s concern. Having this mechanism creates an option – a higher option - for the youth to take part in the governance process.

#CDOyouthCode