Challenge to the resilience of democracy
Inclusion
Citizens should therefore not only be targets by policymakers but included in the processes. Political institutions are the vehicles for citizen inclusion and to ensure their needs are addressed. However, lack of representation due to gender, age, ethnicity, or class is a reality. If exclusion exists there is a risk and threat to the social contract and the purpose of the state.
At the Oslo Center, we acknowledge the importance and necessity of achieving equitable societies. By supporting processes that promote inclusiveness, we believe that sustainable democracies can be built where the citizens, no matter status, are at the center of all levels and aspects of decision-making.
Our projects
Youth Assemblies
Status
- Ongoing
Details
- Youth Assemblies is a concept initiated in Mombasa, Kenya, which engages youth to take an active part in driving peaceful, democratic change in a society prone to insecurity. The concept builds on local mechanisms for dialogue and works through consultative parliamentary sessions, where issues of concern for the youth at the grassroots are brought forward. Issues identified are presented to targeted stakeholders, and results are reported back to the youth assemblies. The work and methodology developed are unique and encourage holding the government and stakeholders accountable, youth raising their voices and taking their place in society – as well as building and encouraging a culture of democracy. Through a holistic process, avenues for youth inclusion in dialogue and decision-making as well as collaboration between youth and stakeholders are created. Currently, the Oslo Center is active in assisting two youth assemblies – Kwale Youth Assembly (KYA) and Lamu Youth Assembly (LYA). Both KYA and LYA are based on the success of the initiated Mombasa Youth Assembly and share the overall goal to support youth in identifying local issues and solutions and influence county decision-makers to find and implement actions to their long-standing grievances.
Objectives
- The aim of the program is to increase youth’s voices through confidence and capacity building and for them to see the effects and results of the issues they have brought to attention in the local communities.
Empowering Women in Politics
Status
- Ongoing
Details
- In collaboration with the Christian Democratic International Center (KIC Sweden), the Oslo Center has implemented the project Empowering Women in Politics (EWIP) in Kenya. This project is part of an overall EWIP program where the main goal is to contribute to increasing the participation and influence of women in politics in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We believe that strengthening the position and role of women in politics can only be effective when engaging in political parties; therefore, the main target groups of the program are women active in political parties and senior management of political parties. The main strategies used are capacity development of women, mainly focusing on communication skills and on confidence building, and capacity enhancement of party leadership keen on strengthening the gender policy perspective and technical capacity to gender mainstreaming. Through our tailor-made approach, which encompasses timing, local knowledge, and local ownership, the Oslo Center’s work with political parties has laid a strong foundation for strengthening women in politics.
Objectives
- In the development of the project, we have enhanced our focus on widening the space for women’s influence and decision-making in political parties and building women’s capacity to enhance their electability in elections. Through these avenues, the EWIP program will effectively gain effective results and continuously enhance women’s role in political systems.
Empowering Youth Generation in Governance Project
Status
- Completed
Details
The project was implemented to enhance youth participation in governance and improve service delivery through social accountability by training the youth to be proactive in holding governments and public officials accountable. It enhanced youth knowledge of social accountability, and participation in governance processes, and improved relations between youth and governance structures.
The project was key in crystallizing youth participation in decision and policy-making processes, advocating for accountability, and fostering responsive government structures by facilitating constructive engagement between youth organizations, parliamentary political parties, and county government structures.
Objectives
- The project’s main objective was to Increase active youth engagement in governance process through social accountability frameworks.
Women Leadership and Political Participation Project
Status
- Completed
Details
This project implemented in Kenya in 2022 was designed to enhance women’s political leadership and deal with systemic barriers that impede their participation in leadership, political inclusion, and electability. Its approach involved engaging women candidates and local influencers in identifying challenges women grapple with when seeking political leadership, including discriminative gender and cultural practices. By leveraging local influencers to shape opinions, the program significantly reformed the mindset of the community towards the reception of women’s leadership. A key achievement was the commencement of setting up a CBO in Kirinyaga as a civic engagement platform for amplifying issues affecting grassroots women with a constitution drafted to govern its operations.
Objectives
This project enhanced women’s political leadership capabilities and addressed systemic barriers hindering participation in political processes. It identified the barriers and worked with local influencers to develop long-term strategies to overcome them.
Strengthening Youth’s Knowledge and Participation in Political Processes in Kenya
Status
- Completed
Details
The Strengthening Youth’s Knowledge and Participation in Political Processes in Kenya was one year project implemented in 2022. The main goal of the project was to strengthen the participation of youth in political processes in Kenya by enhancing their knowledge in the process. The outcome of the project was to achieve strengthened youth participation in the electoral process and policy development by building their capacity to effectively compete in elections and participate in peacebuilding during the electoral process.
Objectives
- The main goal of the project was to
the capacity increase and participation of youth in political processes. Over decades, the youth are the majority in the populace yet their space in electoral politics is narrow. TOC sought to address the gaps by assisting youth leagues to build the capacity of the youth aspirants and involving youth in an active peaceful electoral process.
Supporting Youth in Myanmar
Status
- Completed
Details
- In Myanmar, the Oslo Center has, through several project phases, supported youth to raise, discuss and advocate for issues of their own concerns in order for them to strengthen their position in democratic processes. In 2012, the Oslo center contributed to hosting a youth conference in Kachin State where young people from the state met and discussed issues related to federalism, the ongoing conflict in Kachin, and the peace process. Two years later, in close collaboration with the Norwegian Burma Committee, the Oslo Center supported the United Nationalities Youth Forum (UNYF) in the establishment of a platform where youth from all over Myanmar could meet and discuss issues related to the political development in the country, identified by the youth themselves.
Objectives
- The primary goal and objective of the project have been to involve and include youth in political and legislative processes. Through the established permanent platforms for youth dialogue, the project aim was to unite youth across ethnic and religious divides, engage them in politically relevant governance issues and thereby contribute to peace and reconciliation at local and national levels.
Women’s participation is a crucial foundation for gender equality
Women’s participation is a crucial foundation for genuine inclusive democratic governance. Unfortunately, women encounter strategical underrepresentation and discrimination.
The exclusion of women’s representation in decision-making processes is consequential. We are continuing to see harassment, sexual exploitation, discrimination, economic and social consequences, and harmful practices that are excluding women and girls from opportunities and endangering their lives. Strengthening women’s role and representation in politics creates the avenues for tolerance, inclusivity, and parity to engender, both the political environment and the society.
Giving women the recognition of their capacity and skills in the space of politics and leadership will create a vibrant and sustainable democracy that all will benefit from.
Youth bring innovation and change
Youth represent an important demographic group in society, bringing opportunities for both innovation and change.
However, youth often experience exclusion from democratic processes on issues that directly affect their lives and future. Consequences can be lack of trust and indifference toward politics, which could lead to disaffection, violence, radicalization as well as erosion of democracy. The Oslo Center strongly acknowledges the importance of enhancing youth’s capacity and confidence in the political specter for voices to be raised and heard.
Through the processes of building bridges and space for dialogue between youth and the decision-makers, the avenue for increased political engagement opens, and the potential for sustainable development arises.
Key areas of impact
Political parties reviewed their internal laws, rules and regulations for inclusion of women, youth and marginalized groups
Develop and/or review party policy documents through gender lenses
Women and youth are better prepared to perform in their roles and responsibilities when elected to represent their party in legislatives
Youth assemblies established and strengthened