Future Leaders and Policy Makers

IEA is well aware that 57% or more of South Sudan’s population is below 18 years. Such critical mass of young people is an asset to the country and should play a critical role in leadership, shepherding policy formulation, implementation and advocacy. A true partnership with youth as development actors means that youth play a role in every aspect of the policy formulation and implementation, from design through research, implementation and evaluation, even in building capacity of other youth through peer to peer trainings. To ensure that young people are well equipped to do this, IEA supports a series of key initiatives that provide a variety of capacity building options for young people. Youth as Researchers is a concept IEA will seek to implement to provide training and support for youth-led research. Bearing in mind that being involved in policy is often a new thing for young people. IEA will continue to support a training on policy advocacy to assist young people participate on drafting and implementation of polices and laws. IEA will create a Youth Policy Lab to design a Youth as Evaluators program. Such a platform will ground youth on economic, social and political issues facing the country and desirous of contributing their skills, knowledge and talent to tackle the issues. Each year, IEA will link cahoots of young to the Ministries, Parliaments, Executives’ arms, Judiciary, in civil society organizations, academic institutions and in the private sector as interns, volunteers and technical support units. Exposing and linking youth to experienced policy makers and implementers, legislators, civil society leaders, business leaders and networks is an opportunity for mentoring them, building their confidence and equipping them with skills and knowledge they can utilize to meaningfully participate in leadership, decision making and policy advocacy.