The Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) is a youth-led initiative that unites and empowers youth (aged 18-35 years) from diverse backgrounds around the world to have a voice, and affect positive change in their landscapes and livelihoods.
Representing over 20,000 young people working and studying in agriculture, forestry and agroecology, over the past four years the Initiative has enabled young professionals to meaningfully participate in the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), showcasing their crucial role in landscapes now and into the future. On November 16th, the 2016 Global Landscapes Forum was held in Marrakech, Morocco, alongside UNFCCC COP22. As in previous years, a Youth in Landscapes program was organized as part of GLF, with different components implemented before and during the forum.
Through a demanding selection procedure, a group of young professionals and students were selected as Youth Facilitators to lead the Youth Session and assist in facilitating other forum sessions. These participants went through a process of skill-building, with four webinars and a pre-GLF workshop.
This report presents the main findings of the YIL program, based on an analysis of qualitative and quantitative data gathered through a combination of different evaluation methods, including surveys, focus groups, interviews and ethnographic observation. It serves to give insight into how the program components contributed to the objectives of YIL and provide recommendations for the subsequent years.