Measuring Impact of Positive Youth Development Initiatives on Youth in Lahore, Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47067/ramss.v3i3.65Keywords:
Positive Youth Development, Youth Services, Problems of Youth, PakistanAbstract
This paper examined the impact of positive youth development initiatives on youth in Lahore, Pakistan through the provision of youth services. Youth is considered as one of the most important segments of the population in a country as it has to take over future roles and responsibilities. Currently, Pakistan is one of those countries which has the highest percentage of youth in its population. A survey of the literature showed that due to multiple socio-economic factors, the potential of youth has not been adequately utilized for the development of the country. One of the effective strategies being practised at the global level is an engagement of youth in the mainstream course of development. Using the quantitative method, 357 respondents were studied through a survey questionnaire. The respondents were students studying in 6 Catholic schools in Lahore where youth service projects have been implemented by Youth Engagement Service (YES) Network Pakistan. The findings revealed that the provision of youth services put a positive impact on the personality of beneficiary adolescents. After the provision of youth services, the majority of beneficiary youth was more caring towards other fellows, feeling more worthwhile within themselves and proved to be more useful for family and community at large. Furthermore, engagement of youth in civic activities turned an adolescent into a productive and outcome-oriented citizen. The study concluded that through positive youth development approach, youth can prove itself as a changemaker asset whose potentialities can contribute immensely to the socio-economic development of the country.
References
Borden, L. M., Conn, M., Mull, C. D., & Wilkens, M. (2020). The Youth Development Workforce: The People, the Profession, and the Possibilities. Journal of Youth Development, 15(1), 1-8.
Damon, W. (2004). What is positive youth development? The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 591(1), 13-24.
Government of Pakistan (2009). National Education Policy 2009. Federal Ministry of Education. Islamabad, Pakistan. Retrieved from http://unesco.
org.pk/education/teachereducation/policy.html.
Government of Pakistan, Planning Commission (2011). Pakistan: Framework
for Economic Growth. Islamabad, Pakistan. Retrieved from http://
www.pc.gov.pk/hot%20links/growth_document_english_version.pdf.
Imai, K., King, G., & Lau, O. (2008). Toward a common framework for statistical analysis and development. Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics, 17(4), 892-913.
Iqbal, S. (2017). Role of Youth in Pakistan. Available at:
https://pakobserver.net/role-of-youth-in-pakistan/ (Accessed on January 20, 2020).
Khalid, A., & Asad, A. Z. (2019). Social Entrepreneurship is one of the Way Forward to Youth Empowerment in Pakistan. Pakistan Vision, 20(1), 1.
Khan, A. (2000). “Adolescent and Reproductive health in Pakistan: A literature review, Research report No.11 Islamabad: Population Council.
London, R. A., Pastor, Jr., M., Servon, L. J., Rosner, R., & Wallace, A. (2010). The role of community technology centers in promoting youth development. Youth & Society, 42(2), 199-228
Lam, D. (2007). The demography of youth in developing countries and its economic implications. The World Bank.
Lloyd, C. (2005). Editor, Growing up Global: The Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Countries, National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
Lerner, R. M., Lerner, J. V., Lewin-Bizan, S., Bowers, E. P., Boyd, M. J., Mueller, M. K., ... & Napolitano, C. M. (2011). Positive youth development: Processes, programs, and problematics. Journal of Youth Development, 6(3), 38-62.
Lerner, J. V., Phelps, E., Forman, Y. E., & Bowers, E. P. (2009). Positive youth development. Handbook of adolescent psychology, 1.
Moeed, Y. (2008). Prospects of youth radicalization in Pakistan implications for US policy. Analysis paper no.14, 2008.
McCarthy, K., Brady, M., and Hallman, K. (2016). Investing When It Counts: Reviewing the Evidence and Charting a Course of Research and Action for Very Young Adolescents. Population Council. New York.
National Youth Policy (2009). National Youth Policy-2009, retrieved from Ministry of youth affairs, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad.
Ostby, G. (2008). “Polarization, Horizontal inequalities and violent civil conflict.” Journal of Peace Research, 45 (2): 143-26.
Osgood, D. W., & Chambers, J. M. (2000). Social Disorganization outside the Metropolis:
An Analysis of Rural Youth Violence. Criminology, 38(1), 81-116.
Sathar, Z., Kamran, I., Sadiq, M., & Hussain, S. (2016). Youth in Pakistan: Priorities, realities and policy responses
Scales, P. C., Benson, P. L., Leffert, N., & Blyth, D. A. (2000). Contribution of developmental assets to the prediction of thriving among adolescents. Applied developmental science, 4(1), 27-46.
United Nation Organization (2007). Definition of Youth, Available at:
https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/fact-sheets/youth-definition.pdf
USAID Youth Policy (2012). Youth in Development: Realizing the demographic opportunity.
UNDESA, U. (2010). Government Survey 2010: Leveraging e-government at a time of financial and economic crisis. Available at: www2. unpan. org/egovkb/global_reports/10report. htm.
Youth Engagement Services Network Pakistan (2019). Introduction to YES Network. available at: http://yesnetworkpakistan.org/
