Please find below the session notes from the session on Day 2 (Wednesday, November 10, 2021) of the USAID YouthPower2 Symposium about How Dare You Tell Me HOPE Is Not an Indicator? Why Investment in Meaningful Adolescent and Youth Engagement is Worth It.

Many try to tie the engagement of young people to specific programmatic outcomes rather than their rights and overall well-being and development. While the right to participate should not be solely dependent on downstream programmatic outcomes, participation (in grant-making, program design, etc.) can positively impact the well-being and holistic development of young people. In contrast, individual programmatic results may build over time.
The panel will explore the following:
• How to create a paradigm shift where development is accountable to young people rather than the reverse
• Elevating youth engagement indicators to the same importance as development outcomes
• How to introduce patience in traditional development outcomes