A critical commentary on KP Youth Policy Draft 2012

Noor ul Islam With the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010, the Federal Ministry of Youth Affairs has been devolved to the provinces. In KP, the Department of Sports, Tourism, Archeology, Museums and Youth Affairs has been responsible to deal with the subject of the youth affairs. The Department has initiated the process of KP Youth Policy formulation in Consortium with Bargad (a Gujranwala-based organization) and UNFPA. As the Consortium claims, it has finalized the second draft for the KP Youth Policy after a thorough consultation with the youth in 25 districts of the province and soon it will be converted into a final the Youth Policy for presentation into the assembly. There is, however, still a need of several issues to be clarified. Below is a critical commentary on the KP Youth Policy Draft 2012. An initial look at the KP Youth Policy Draft 2012 suggests that an extensive work has been undertaken in clarifying the context of the policy. An overview of the draft, however, suggests that the subject has been dealt with in a more subjective manner, whereby, both the immediate and long term issues responsible for youth problems have either not been taken into account or have not been addressed through concrete policy provisions. The rhetorically significant words (e.g. youth as a vital part of our society, Dreamer, Full of energy, multi-pronged empowerment of youth) have been widely used in the entire Draft with a focus to ensure that the youth are involved and empowered through a series of economic, political and social strategies, there has been a serious deficiency in the recognition of the structural inequalities and injustices, feudal, tribal and dictatorial mindsets promoting dependencies, that the youth are facing due to their particular class, economic position, ethnicity and gender. The Draft does not include a long-term, inclusive and consensus vision for the young people of the province. Few statements around the Draft that tried to cover the overall essence of the policy lack any significant reference to the UDHR, International and regional agreements, conventions and treaties that the Government is signatory to and inter-generational relations etc. These also fail to address the questions of identities, ideals, relationship with the past and future, and approaches towards inter-dependency among youth, their families, and the State etc. The extreme ideological divide and lack of tolerance, Extremism and armed conflicts, strong perceptions about corruption, bribery and nepotism, the alarming rate of decreasing public investments in youth, failure of the conventional programs and initiatives for youth, lack of representation of young people in the power structure, opportunity and a sense of real participation in the system at all levels and lack of immediate support mechanisms are only a few characteristics of the environment that young people are living in. These issues need clear policy statements and provisions. The draft Youth Policy has reiterated the notion that the State lacks a long term inclusive vision for the development and empowerment of youth, except the fact that young people are looked upon as dividends and corporate tools of the capitalist economy. While having a look at the draft, it seems that the focus on economic and corporate issues and objectives is more salient and prominent than the other aspects that have a bearing on the youth empowerment. Social and political issues of youth, though being extensively discussed while lying down the context of the policy, the policy provisions for social and political empowerment are wage, skewed or (and)

insufficient. The Draft focuses on devising few strategies for economic (mostly), social and political empowerment, however it fails on focusing consensus and inclusive practices and environments responsible for directing the course of life of the young. Thus, the Draft authenticates itself as a Corporate and market centered approach to youth development, not as a welfare states approach. The purpose of the youth policy, particularly in the current scenario at KP, should be to promote critical thinking and a culture of tolerance and justice in the society but the Draft lacks an overt focus on this. The focus of the draft remains mainly on the educated youth of the region and severely lacks a discourse as well as policy provisions for involving, developing and mainstreaming the uneducated and illiterate, especially in the social and political arena. The issues and focus on youth hailing from diverse backgrounds, conditions, aspirations and awareness levels, though slightly mentioned while setting the context, have not been effectively addressed in policy provisions. A strong, coordinated, collective, synergetic and consensus approach among the State, Civil Society, Corporate sector, Families, and Youth can guarantee a conducive environment for the development and empowerment of Youth. The participation of different State departments, corporate entities at local and provincial levels, and Families and parents in the process of consultations for the Draft has remained a question mark. The consultation process, as mentioned in the draft at different places, shows that the input of families, parents and community at large is seriously lacking. Without their ownership of the process, the effective implementation of the policy remains only a nightmare. The Draft fails to acknowledge and accept the failures in ensuring a meaningful empowerment and environment for the youth of the region, to enlist genuine reasons for the delay, and to focus on how the KP Government shall address those obstacles in future. While having the entire focus on economic (mainly), social and political empowerment of young people, the Draft fails to outline concrete outcome of the policy in terms of Youth development. The consensus Six Cs as the outcome of youth development programs throughout the Youth development discourse internationally (including Confidence, Character, Connection, Competence, Contribution, Caring and Compassion) have not been addressed directly throughout the entire Draft. The Policy provisions of the Draft does not specify different layers (e.g. Provincial, District, Tehsil, Village, Family) for the interventions under the policy, thus leaving a room for ambiguity among various levels for taking initiative as well as implementation and evaluation. The Draft does not mention a clear relation to other provincial policies (e.g. Health, education, Inter-provincial affairs, etc.) and coordinated efforts and initiatives among different regulatory bodies. The Draft lacks any mechanism for revision of the policy and changes, if needed. The Draft does not include any mechanism for complaints redressal for youth and other stakeholders. The draft does not devise a mechanism for promoting awareness of KP youth policy, to promote access to financial and non-financial services, youth development initiatives, programs priorities and feedback, thus leaving a space for clarifying the strategy for using mass media (Electronic,

print and social). The role, rights and responsibilities of the state, the private sector, the civil society, and the family have not been clearly outlined for implementation and evaluation of the policy. Suggestions: A binding and mandatory focus on the youth of the province in all provincial policies, Equal competing grounds, especially in education, access to opportunities, recreation, and access to information All extra-legal actions such as forced disappearance of youth should be stopped to stem the rising tide of violent behavior among the youth. The policy should make an explicit reference to the right to live and ensure its inclusion in all other policies. (This recommendation is particularly related to the heinous practice of honor killing prevalent in some parts of the province). Career counseling should be introduced at all levels in the educational institutions as well as in communities for uneducated and illiterate youth. Vocational training should be made a part of formal education at school level. Also, vocational training should be introduced in religious schools (madrassahs). Provisions should be made for promoting Life Skills Based Education for both in-school and out of school youth and adolescents. Ensuring youth participation in political parties at decision making levels, special seats for youth in assembly, Budget allocation in accordance with the youth population size, Right to Information, particularly on the issues directly affecting the young people, Interest free financing mechanism for college and university education, skill development programs and entrepreneurship for all young people without discrimination, Concrete policy provisions for involvement and mainstreaming of illiterate youth in social, political and economic spheres Land reforms and allocation of state land to young people for agriculture and other purposes In addition to the fundamental rights being guaranteed in the constitution, the KP youth policy must have provision for additional rights of the young people. These include: Right to education, relevant skills and training Right to gainful employment and support to unemployed or underemployed Right to social security

 Right to be protected from all forms of labor threatening their health, education and development Right to quality health services, irrespective of income and social class Right to decent and quality shelter and right to live in a clean and healthy environment Right to participate in the cultural life of the community and to protect and develop ones own cultural identity Right to keep, perform and enjoy tolerance of ones own religious or non-religious beliefs Right to participate in all decision making structures, arrangements, processes and bodies that deal with issues relating to young people, at all levels.