Analysis of Youth Leadership and Empowerment towards Sustainable Community Livelihoods: A case study in Guatemala and El Salvador

Elizabeth PELLECER RIVERA

Master's thesis

Abstract:

The main objective of this dissertation was to analyze the youth leadership and empowerment programs promoted by SERES Association, and how their participants are building, or not, sustainable community livelihoods. SERES is a non-profit institution working with youth from communities in Guatemala and El Salvador, mainly located in rural and vulnerable areas. They promote Education for Sustainable Development, offering non-formal education trainings where the interested youth can participate. The programs are focused in promoting leadership skills, empowerment and sustainability through different levels of trainings. In this case, the analysis focuses on the first-level of the trainings entitled "Youth leaders for the Pachamama" (or JLP, for the acronym in Spanish). To make the analysis, a field visit was done on August 2015 to the offices of SERES Association and to four outstanding communities involved. During these visits, four focus groups (which included an activity of photo elicitation) and 14 interviews were conducted with different stakeholders. The aim was to get a better understanding of SERES' history and way of working, and the motivations, action plans, and expectations of the youth leaders involved. The information gathered was described, including the experience of each of the visited communities, and the enablers, obstacles and challenges were identified. An analysis of the initiative was done in the framework of related themes within the development discourse. In general, the action plans designed focus on tackling environmental issues responding to the problems the youth groups have prioritized. Some of the action plans address immediate problems, like trash collection campaigns, and others go further aiming to modify the root causes of these problems, like banning the use of plastic bags and non-recyclable bottles, for example. Besides the activities, the youth groups show commitment, will, hope and resilience to overcome the current situation. In fact many of them are involved in local authority's groups or local organizations, sharing and multiplying their capacities as agents of change. The main focus of the initiative is environmental, which sometimes leaves aside the political, social and economic aspects also comprised in the holistic concept of sustainability. Nevertheless, it builds active citizens and strengths the social capital, at a local and regional level, which is necessary for development.

Abstract:

The main objective of this dissertation was to analyze the youth leadership and empowerment programs promoted by SERES Association, and how their participants are building, or not, sustainable community livelihoods. SERES is a non-profit institution working with youth from communities in Guatemala and El Salvador, mainly located in rural and vulnerable areas. They promote Education for Sustainable Development, offering non-formal education trainings where the interested youth can participate. The programs are focused in promoting leadership skills, empowerment and sustainability through different levels of trainings. In this case, the analysis focuses on the first-level of the trainings entitled "Youth leaders for the Pachamama" (or JLP, for the acronym in Spanish). To make the analysis, a field visit was done on August 2015 to the offices of SERES Association and to four outstanding communities involved. During these visits, four focus groups (which included an activity of photo elicitation) and 14 interviews were conducted with different stakeholders. The aim was to get a better understanding of SERES' history and way of working, and the motivations, action plans, and expectations of the youth leaders involved. The information gathered was described, including the experience of each of the visited communities, and the enablers, obstacles and challenges were identified. An analysis of the initiative was done in the framework of related themes within the development discourse. In general, the action plans designed focus on tackling environmental issues responding to the problems the youth groups have prioritized. Some of the action plans address immediate problems, like trash collection campaigns, and others go further aiming to modify the root causes of these problems, like banning the use of plastic bags and non-recyclable bottles, for example. Besides the activities, the youth groups show commitment, will, hope and resilience to overcome the current situation. In fact many of them are involved in local authority's groups or local organizations, sharing and multiplying their capacities as agents of change. The main focus of the initiative is environmental, which sometimes leaves aside the political, social and economic aspects also comprised in the holistic concept of sustainability. Nevertheless, it builds active citizens and strengths the social capital, at a local and regional level, which is necessary for development.

Keywords

Leadership, Empowerment, Youth, Development, Sustainability, Environmental Issues, Central America, Guatemala, El Salvador

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 13. 5. 2016

Accessible from:: 13. 5. 2016

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. Radovan Dluhý-smith

PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY OLOMOUC

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Geography / International Development Studies