Youth local councils : an analysis of their performance

Abstract

The scope of this research is to analyze the performance of Youth Local Councils (YLC). The project of YLC was launched in 2009 by Aġenzija Żgħażagħ which falls under the remit of the Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport. The aim of these YLC is to offer youths the opportunity to voice their opinions at a local level. The 2011/2012 edition of YLC comprises of 40 localities made up of 242 youths. The analytical aspect of this study was to explore the various processes of youth empowerment both at a local level and at a European level. Due to the similarities between the Maltese YLC and the British Youth Councils a comparative study was carried out. Being a relatively new project comparison with past performance at a local level was not possible. For this reason the research methodology was concentrated on obtaining the opinions of all the stakeholders involved. The gathering of this primary data consisted of interviews and the distribution of questionnaires. The arguments raised by these stakeholders were discussed and analyzed. These findings revealed that the majority of the stakeholders agreed that YLC may be the first step of youths into public political life. They also contended that YLCs instilled in these youth a sense of belonging in their community. On the other hand they noted that these YLCs were encountering organizational difficulties due to lack of funds, cooperation from their local council and an overall lack of organizational structure. In conclusion, after having identified the strengths and weaknesses of these YLC some proposals were put forward. These recommendations included improving the current funding of the project system, how the nomination of youths on these councils could be improved and the possibility of these youths taking part in the National Youth Parliament.