International Workshop Youth: development actors in rural areas

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1 International Workshop Youth: development actors in rural areas October 27, 28 and 29, Bogota, Colombia. Dar a la población rural pobre la oportunidad de salir de la pobreza FORDFOUNDATION Background In Latin America and the Caribbean there are nearly 120 million young people. Of those, 30 million can be found in rural areas; and among people between 15- and 29- years-old 53 percent are male and 47 percent are women. Young people represent 25 percent of the rural population and constitute a strategic player in the development of these regions for numerous reasons: i) they have a greater level of education than their parents (in the majority of countries in the region they duplicate the average level of their parents); they demonstrate a greater use of new technology; and, iii) they are in a stage of developing their own life strategy, opting, for some, to stay in their communities of origin, which is a key aspect of the improvement in the conditions of their life, and that of their families, communities and regions. On the other hand, among the most significant changes that have confronted the rural population in the past years, are: i) an increase in life expectancy in rural populations, which prolongs the participation by elderly in productive tasks and in control over resources and family assets, and; ii) the prevalence of migration resulting from the lack of opportunities for youth in rural areas. In Latin America and the Caribbean the percentage of the population over 60-years-old increased from 6.3 percent in 1985 to 7.6 percent in 2000, and is expected to reach 10.2 percent in Furthermore, in 2005, nearly 80 percent of these and young Ibero-Americans will have lived in an urban environment. The projections for Latin America indicate that this percentage will continue to increase, and although the velocity of the increase will slow, the degree of urbanization both among the population in general and of young people for the year 2025 will surpass 83 percent. Acccording to the above, and despite the growing importance of rural youth in the region, actual development and public policy initiatives directed at the rural sector have marginally considered rural youth as relevant actors in the strategy and promotion of rural development. Likewise, they are rarely integrated into discussions that aim to think about the improvement of the general conditions in the rural world as a place to live and develop life projects. Within this context there are related aspects to the situation experienced by rural youth, both male and female, which are key to take on if one seeks to encourage their participation and their inclusion in the development dynamics to address their main aspirations, like access to land, the financing of their initiatives and access to rural technical services to improve entrepenuership. At present in Latin America there is a differentiated development regarding the responses and the support being provided to the rural youth population. Of concern is the absence of instruments and relevant efforts in quantity, quality and pertinence- directed at improving and broadening their conditions for access to resources, services, employment and income that correspond to their aspirations and livelihood strategies. However, there is also growing interest in addressing youth as a key population for development. Thus, the United Nations has defined the period from August 2010 to August 2010 as the Year of Youth to promote action at all levels to disseminate

2 among youth the ideals of peace, liberty, progress, solidarity and dedication to the objectives and goals of progress and development. Along similar lines, with respect to rural youth, the recent Peasant Forum organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) highlighted in their final declaration, the need to address the young farmers, men and women, through multiple actions, including the realization of events promoting exchange and learning events. Therefore, the Rural Youth Talent Program, implemented by the Regional Corporation Procasur, and the Innovation Mainstreaming Initiative of IFAD, in conjunction with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Ford Foundation and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia, and through the Rural Opportunities Program, have supported the organization of a space for reflection and exchange of experiences with the goal of analyzing and learning from work initiatives with and by rural youth, both men and women, and the limitations and challenges encountered. The organizing entities convoke interested parties to participate in an International Workshop, Youth: development actors in rural areas. This workshop seeks to bring together leaders of organizations of rural youth that are representative of the cultural diversity in the rural areas of Latin America and the Caribbean, men and women, as well as representatives of financing institutions, designers of projects and public policy, local authorities and those who implement rural development initiatives. Organizers are also planning to include in the Workshop the relevant experiences that are being implemented now in Africa, and contribute lessons and recommendations for better and improved opportunities for rural youth. Workshop Purpose Analyze relevant work experiences by and with rural youth, men and women, in Latin America and the Caribbean, sharing useful lessons for the design and implementation of initiatives for rural development initiatives, projects and policies that correspond with their aspirations and life strategies. Specific Objectives Understand the current situation of rural youth in Latin America, their life strategies and their principal aspirations as actors in rural areas. Analyze relevant cases of public policies and local initiatives that are succeeding in incorporating and strengthening youth, both men and women, as relevant actors in rural development initiatives, and listen to involved participants. Share strategies among organisms of international cooperation for the inclusion of rural youth as active users of their instruments for investment and promotion of rural development. Systematize learning experiences, lessons and recommendations for the participation of rural youth in initiatives related to access to land, financial services and business management services. Generate a space for regional and interregional exchange of cases and experiences with rural youth in Latin America and representative cases in Africa. Work Methodology The Workship will be organized around thematic panels which will promote a dialogue and an exchange between the presenters and participants. Each thematic panel will include the presentation of initiatives implemented in different areas and by different public and private organisms. In the the last year Corporation Procasur has carried out systematization processes for relevant experiences. These will be presented for discussion by the actual implementing actors, youth participants in these experiences and thematic specialists. This space will promote the exchange of experiences and lessons learned through diverse methods. 2

3 Likewise, there is an open call to present relevant cases and experiences of research, systematization and execution in the thematic area of the panels. A Technical Committee will select six experiences to be presented at the Workshop, co-financing the participation of the presentors at these. The Workshop will include a Technical Committee responsible for selecting initiatives and experiences to be presented at the event, as well as manage the event. This committee will be comprised of rural youth and experts from national and international organisms. Preliminary Program Introduction: Rural Youth in Latin American Today The current situation of rural youth in Latin America and the Caribbean will be discussed, starting with an presentation of their aspirations and life strategies. Considering that in reality young people have different challenges from those of traditional inhabitants of rural areas, because they are part of a globalized society experiencing very rapid urbanization, a revision is needed of the characteristics of their actual situation and their needs, with the goal that the strategies, tools and proposals directed at them are pertinent. Panel 1: Public Policy and Rural Youth In general public policies directed at rural populations rarely include the specific needs of youth and they are not appreciated as strategic actors in rural development. An objective of this panel is to revise and critically analyze public policies directed at rural youth population, identifying the objectives, implementation strategies, results and impact; discuss their contributions and lessons for the design of new initiatives aimed at the rural youth population. What are the characteristics of public policies aimed at rural youth? Are existing public policies responding to the needs and expectations of rural youth? Do existing public policies consider young people as strategic allies and protagonists in their territory? Have policies been considered that take into account rural youth and the relation to gender, ethnicity and region? Has an intergenerational dialogue been promoted for the design and implementation of said policies? What have been the results or impacts? Panel 2: Rural Youth: policies and strategies for cooperation in development The elaboration of rural development policy with a focus on age is a challenge, but also an opportunity for the projects supported by international cooperation. It is a challenge because it forces one to think of the effects after the termination of a project in an area, because youth depend upon the future social and economic viability of rural society. This focus can modify the design of projects for a greater effectiveness in the medium-and long-term to overcome poverty and favor inclusion. The objective of this panel is reflect and discuss the vision, policies and tools of international agencies useful towards the integration and benefit of rural youth in development initiatives. What is the role of rural youth projects supported by international cooperation? To what extent has an age focus been built into the design and execution of projects? Have these initiatives considered diversity among rural youth as it relates to gender, ethnicity and region?

4 Has an intergenerational dialogue been promoted during the design and implementation of the supported projects? Are youth considered as protagonists or strategic allies? What is the focus of the international cooperation organisms to incorporate rural youth in development initiatives? Panel 3: Access to land by rural youth Today rural youth are faced with various challenges to succesfully insert themselves into the productive and social communities of origin. They confront barriers to form new production units because of existing traditional practices like land succession and limits upon the expansion of agricultural land. This increases intergenerational tension and the migration of young people in search of opportunities and alternatives according to his or her own capacities. The ownership of the land, and its actual use with a clear guarantee of future ownership, is a requirement as much for the material foundation for income, as well as for recognition in society. Both enable a new generation to continute contributing over decades to the sustainability of public rural development projects. The distribution of land to youth, the training and agreements to involve sons or daughters in the use of family land and other means of income should be seen in the optics of the medium-term. The objective of this panel is to reflect upon and identify mechanisms with respect to the rapid and inexpensive access by young people to land, looking critically at existing experiences to derive lessons. In this panel the following cases will be looked at, as systematized by Procasur: National Program for Land Credits: Nossa Primeira Terra. Ministry of Agricultural Development, Brazil. Project Innovative models for young coffee growers. National Federation of Coffee Growers and the Interamerican Development Bank, Colombia Program for Youth Access to Land. Secretary of Agricultural Reform, Rural Financing and World Bank, Mexico Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives, Miraflor and Dalia. Peasant Cooperatives, Nicaragua. What have been the strategies and tools used for rural youth to access land? What have been obstacles or facilitators? What have been the results of the initiatives in which land has been given to young people? What has been the impact upon employment and income of families? Have any changes been produced in relation to the adoption of innovations, productivity or profitability of their businesses? In the access to land initiatives how should dimensions like gender or ethnicity be incorporated? What is the sustainability of these initiatives? What are the lessons and recommendations of the design and implementation of the programs of access to land? Panel 4: Financial services for rural youth. Many viable or innovative productive projects have not been able to be realized because of a lack of tools for capital accumulation, absence of family support and no mechanisms for financial inclusion or diversified financial services for youth. It is currently estimated that only.25 percent of the portfolio of banks is destined towards the youth segment and approximately 300 million of young people, for example, are eligible around the world to obtain credit. Likewise, the financial institutions that develop work experiences in this age segment are very few, and even less have included young people from rural sectors. In fact, young people are often seen as a high-risk segment in finance and prevailing prejudices and economic constraints inhibit their inclusion in target populations of financial institutions. Since its inception savings and loan cooperatives placed much importance on saving for infants and adolescents. However, at present, young people lack financial education, savings or have an understanding of the financial services available. The objective of this panel is to discuss criteria and strategies for providing financial services to rural youth, considering already existing experiences. 4

5 In this panel the following experiences systematized by Procasur will be analyzed: Special Incentive Program for Savings among Rural Youth. A program of the Development of Investment Opportunities and Capitalization of Rural Micro-Business Assets. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Colombia and IFAD, Colombia Experiences of Youth Programs, Asdir Association, Guatemala Providing Financial Services to Youth, Regional Development Fund Fondesurco, Peru What are the factors that limit youth access to financial services and what are possible solutions? What mechanisms or incentives can be implemented to stimulate saving among rural youth? How should mechanisms and incentives for savings and loan programs be adapted or designed to consider young women and youth who pertain to indigenous or afro-american groups in Latin America and the Caribbean? What modifications of the actual financial services or what new instruments should be implemented to promote the business development by young men and women, and afroamerican and indigenous rural youth? What are the lessons and recommendations contributed by the experiences looked at? Panel 5: Training and technical assistance for rural youth and entrepeneurship Rural youth of Latin America live a duality. Greater levels of schooling have made them more proactive and prone to change, and show greater skills and knowledge than adults, for example, in areas like information technology and access to new markets. On the other hand, they confront a reality marked by exclusion and by diverse barriers for their insertion into productive, social and political realities, as well as limited spaces to participate in the decisions that affect their development. Leveraging the skills of youth has generated a range of different initiatives and strategies for the training and technical assistance that promotes an insertion into productive cycles and the exercise of citizenship by and for young people. The objective of this panel is to discuss and learn about the initiatives and tools for the formation, training and technical assistance oriented towards entrepreneurship and business development among rural young men and women. In this panel, the following systematized experiences by Procasur will be analyzed: Pilot project for Young Rural Entrepreneurs, Promotion of a Culture of Entrepreneurship. Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of Argentina Subsecretary for Rural Development and Family Agriculture, Argentina Young Rural Entrepreneurship program. Souza Cruz Institute, Brazil. Rural Entrepreneurship Program. National Learning Service SENA, Colombia. National Rural Youth Program. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock. Costa Rica. What is the pertinence of training and entrepreneur technical assistance programs available for the formation of young rural entrepreneurs? To what degree do instruments respond to the needs and expectations of rural youth, considering gender, ethnicity and region? What are the principal thematic issues that should be considered in programs for training and the development of rural youth as entrepreneurship? What are the results or impacts of the instruments of training and technical assistance in the development of entrepreneurship or rural business? What are the main lessons and recommendations contributed by the actual experiences implemented in Latin America? Contact Regional Corporation PROCASUR Rural Youth Talents Program, procasur@procasur.org, tallerjovenesrurales@procasur.org