Inclusive leadership and governance

  • Ciudades más seguras y democráticas a partir del conocimiento coproducido con las juventudes

    Ciudades más seguras y democráticas a partir del conocimiento coproducido con las juventudes

    A las personas jóvenes de ciudades afectadas por la violencia rara vez se les pregunta qué significa para ellas la seguridad. Esta nota de política se basa en una investigación participativa realizada con 545 jóvenes de entre 16 y 29 años de las Comunas 1 Popular y 2 Santa Cruz de Medellín, Colombia, y de…

  • Making Cities Safer and More Democractic Through Youth-Centred Knowledge

    Making Cities Safer and More Democractic Through Youth-Centred Knowledge

    Young people in cities affected by violence are rarely asked what security means to them. This policy brief draws on participatory research conducted with 545young people aged 16 to 29 in Comuna 1 (Popular) and 2 (Santa Cruz) in Medellín, Colombia, and Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, South Africa, engaging them not asa population at…

  • Understanding intersectionality and barriers to political participation

    Understanding intersectionality and barriers to political participation

    The case of the Women’s Advisory Council of Popayán, Colombia This study situates these dynamics within Cauca’s long history of social movements and the broader literature on political participation, gender and intersectionality, illustrating both the importance of intersectionality in understanding barriers to participation and its implications for more inclusive and equitable approaches to participatory governance…

  • Women Leading Democratic Change

    Women Leading Democratic Change

    Impact, Results and Lessons from ICLD’s programme Women’s Political Leadership This anthology brings together reflections, lessons, and stories from women politicians who have sought to create change in their communities. While political leadership is often described through policies, institutions, and election results, less attention is given to its everyday realities: building trust, navigating resistance, forging…

  • Taking the word

    Taking the word

    Indigenous Women’s Struggle for Equality in Colombia and Guatemala This roadmap provides a strategic framework for the local governments of Leticia and Panajachel to bridge the gap between legal commitments and the meaningful political influence of Indigenous women. Although current regulatory frameworks for women’s participation in Colombia and Guatemala have strengthened formal mechanisms and created…

  • Developing Youth Councils

    Developing Youth Councils

    This toolbox has been compiled to help local government officials and politicians who want to start, improve, and maintain their own youth councils. It provides both inspiration and a step-by-step guide for setting up and managing these councils. It also explores the questions and challenges youth councils often face and shares some of the lessons…

  • From Values to Results: Organisational Transformation in Local Government

    From Values to Results: Organisational Transformation in Local Government

    This toolbox shows how ICLD’s theory of change and value-based model can support local governments in strengthening service delivery, safety, and climate resilience by embedding democratic values into everyday governance. Drawing on Kiambu County’s experience, it demonstrates how leadership commitment to equity, participation, transparency, and accountability can drive organizational change and produce tangible results for…

  • Jönköping – Stellenbosh, South Africa

    Jönköping – Stellenbosh, South Africa

    Project: Youth participation in municipal decision-making The project tackles a shared challenge in both Jönköping and Stellenbosch: young people are largely excluded from municipal decision-making. Although Sweden incorporated the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into law in 2020, translating this principle into real influence for young people remains difficult. Existing structures, such…

  • Child-Focused Cities [CFC]: A Paradigm for Inclusive Urban Development

    Child-Focused Cities [CFC]: A Paradigm for Inclusive Urban Development

    The Child-Focused Cities (CFC) initiative brings together children and youth inclusion in local democracy in line with the principles embedded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It reflects on why, when, how, where, and under what circumstances children and young people are recognised as political subjects and crucial role-players in…

  • Our Childhood: A toolbox for local governments fostering child/youth inclusion

    Our Childhood: A toolbox for local governments fostering child/youth inclusion

    Our Childhood toolbox aims to support local governments in their attempts to sensitise and include children and youth in local (political) affairs while pursuing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The toolbox enables long-terms, cross-sectoral collaborations for inclusion of children and youth in localising SDGs. It offers support to local governments and engaged practitioners in…