History of the Youth Action (Advocacy) Guide
Learn more about how and where the 'YAG' started
The Youth Action Guide, previously known as the Youth Advocacy Guide, was developed with the recognition that successful and effective adolescent and youth programming is often determined by the careful balance between robust programmes – that are alive to adolescent needs – and the provision of tools and platforms of meaningful involvement and agency for adolescents and young people. The Guide serves to strengthen the latter.
In 2017, on the heels of the UNICEF Generation 2030 2.0 report, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office organized a series of dialogues on a range of policy issues that affect young people. What quickly emerged during these Johannesburg-based dialogues was that young people were engaged, offering solutions to the complex challenges facing the continent and calling for a meaningful seat at the decision-making table. It was noted that beyond UNICEF’s role as a global advocate for children, we have a responsibility to move young people beyond participation, to become advocates themselves.
The Guide was developed in 2018 over a series of workshops and remote engagements with young people across sub-Saharan Africa and is completely youth authored. It was vital that young people were at the center of the development of this Youth Advocacy Guide. Working together with the implementing partner, Youth@SAIIA, workshops were organized and held in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda, bringing together approximately 60 young people from these countries to discuss meaningful youth engagement and work towards the creation of the Guide. Selected participants took on editorial roles and assisted the implementing partner and the UNICEF Africa Services Unit team in analysing and writing content for the Guide, joining in the co-creation process.
The workshops were structured using participatory methods, where young advocates took part in various activities to share their experiences related to youth participation and advocacy. This information was used to inform the overall structure and content of the Guide.
The methodology used allowed participants to share their experiences related to the phases of the Guide, reflect on these as a group and then work together to create a 'teachable activity', which formed the content of the Guide. Participants were also taken on a site visit to a selected organization, for an immersive, hands-on experience, which was later linked to the discussions held during the workshop.
Through a bottom-up approach, the Guide uses storytelling as its central component. In this way, the Guide adds unique value as it is not only a toolkit filled with valuable, experience-based information to support youth advocacy, it also contains a collection of stories from youth advocates across the continent who share real-life examples of the importance of their work.
The main workshop targets were always met, but depending on the group, the programme was altered slightly to best suit the experiences of the participants. While a general skeleton programme was prepared, the workshops were an open space for participants to suggest the best way forward, which gave all a sense of ownership over the process. The room setup changed throughout the workshop, allowing for different forms of engagement. Most settings were more informal to encourage sharing of ideas.
To ensure a more inclusive process, an online ‘Call for Stories’ was created and shared widely, asking young people from across Africa to reflect on and share their stories of public advocacy and youth engagement. English, French and Portuguese versions of the call were created, with accompanying online Google Forms being shared widely through youth networks, social media platforms and by willing COs. Young people were further engaged using the IoGT. Selected stories were used as case studies and were analysed by the co-authors and editors to gather content for the Guide.
The 2022 Global Adaptation of the Youth Action Guide
The Youth Action Guide has undergone a global adaptation to better serve young changemakers around the world.
The resource was reimagined in 2020 by UNICEF’s Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP) team with support from AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme. A global survey gathered insights from young people worldwide to ensure the guide reflects their needs and aspirations. Building on the 2018 edition, youth advocates from Antigua, Barbados, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, India, Indonesia, State of Palestine, St. Lucia, and Venezuela collaborated to expand the guide, adding essential content on digital advocacy, social media, mental wellness, and self-care. The 2022 Youth Action Guide is designed for a global audience, offering tools, tips, and inspiring stories to support youth advocacy journeys everywhere. If you're already using the 2018 guide, we encourage you to explore this updated version to see how its new chapters and resources might enhance your efforts.