Dialogue paper: The unique insight of young people – youth, development, and shifting the power

The shift the power movement has been one of the major topics of discussion within international development and civil society spaces in recent years. Despite this, certain dimensions of power are much less talked about than others. One of these is the question of age, and the role of young people in processes of change.

In May 2022, INTRAC gathered five civil society practitioners for a discussion about youth, development, and shifting the power. All of them are 35 or under at the time of publication and were involved, at different times and in different roles, with The Development Alternative (TDA). This dialogue paper recounts the bulk of the discussions, but does not contain everything that was said – primarily, to avoid duplication.

The contributors are (ages at the time of publication):

• Willemijn de Bruin (31)
• Timothy Kisuule (32)
• Lily Maćków-McGuire (27)
• Marina Raoilimanantsoa (35)
• Alastair Spray (28)

A briefer edited extract from these discussions is available as an INTRAC blog, “How can the shift the power process better reflect the unique insight of young people?”