Futurely worked with a Multilateral Development Bank to design a youth empowerment initiative that would champion the sustainable development of the Bagmati River in Nepal.
From August to November 2020, as part of an MDB and the Government of Nepal’s initiative to improve water security and resilience to potential climate change impacts in the Bagmati River Basin, two capacity-building programs were designed and delivered by a team of three locally recruited Nepalese youth.
A 6-week training program led by 10 youth facilitators was organized for 196 participants, alongside a shorter knowledge sharing session with a total of 1703 youth participants across multiple schools in Nepal. The objectives of these youth-led programs were (i) to increase awareness and capacity for local youth leaders in river basin management and related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and (ii) to build sustainable and climate change resilient behaviors and 3R (Reduce – Reuse – Recycle) lifestyles in youth and youth-influenced communities under the SDGs framework.
Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a strengths-based organizational development model, was employed to engage young people in self-determined change. To measure outcomes and impact, a KAP Score® model was utilized using a pre and post-survey methodology, allowing the organizers to approximate the participant’s behavior change journey through a series of stages, from being unaware of an issue to being compliant.
The results of the evaluation provide a quantitative indicator to suggest the capacity-building programs and the AI approach taken were extremely effective at increasing awareness and capacity of local youth leaders in river management and the SDGs, and at driving climate change resilient behaviors. Further evidence can be found in the youth-led activities launched after the program was completed: 19 local online and in-person youth-led activities were launched including public awareness campaigns on the 3Rs, zero waste campaigns, waste segregation and household composting, vermicomposting, digital advocacy, park creation, and renewable energy, in partnership with over 26 local community groups, NGOs, CSOs, and private organizations, and directly reaching over 1,822 local community members.
We hope that this research provides both guidance and inspiration to encourage governments, organizations, institutions, and corporates to invest in young people's human, social and cultural capital, empowering them to participate in development policies and practices using futures-oriented tools like AI to reach their fullest potential and maximize their contribution to a better future for everyone.
Article soon to be published.