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 that can help local governments include young people more effectively.
The toolbox uses examples from three Youth Councils – Francistown in Botswana, Lusaka in Zambia, and Mogale in South Africa – all supported by the Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy (ICLD) through the Municipal Partnership Programme. These collaborations have become practical laboratories in which methods for youth participation were tested, refined, and shared. The steps and case studies in this toolbox draw directly from those
experiences.