Fourteen years ago the youth project imagine was launched. Since then it has grown internationally. Ten years ago the first partner project in Brazil was added. Today, it comprises four youth groups on three continents, who work together to promote more respect and less discrimination.
A brief look at imagine international Kenya by Caroline Buss, Organising Committee imagine international
Among other goals, imagine international should not only play a role among the young people in the team, but also be outwardly effective. Every year, the festival in Embu (Kenya) attracts several thousand people and impressively communicates the theme to them through the artists. Nevertheless: The greatest impact of imagine Kenya unfolds in the workshops, which are also expanded each year.
Engaging in dialogue with stakeholders
Many Kenyan youths would like to see more active participation in shaping public life and more transparency in politics in order to improve justice and equal opportunities in Kenya. For this reason, the young people of imagine Kenya organised several forums, panel discussions and workshops in 2013. Not only the population but also the political actors were involved in these activities. With the focus on public participation and political participation, the young people of imagine invited the political actors to their forums and challenged them to answer the questions of the population.
and achieve concrete results
Through this public platform, which Imagine Kenya offers, several concrete demands of the young people have already been implemented: For example, a music studio is currently being set up which will offer more support to the local music scene. The origin of this wish was the festival 2011: With the motto "Dream out loud" the young people asked the audience to express their wishes and to record them on a poster.
How can I have a say?
Also last year, under the motto "Dont be left out get involved", imagine Kenya conducted many workshops with young people from Embu. During our visit in December 2014 we were allowed to participate in one of them. It served to discuss the discussed problems and ideas again and to bundle the results of the previous workshops. What is public participation? When is something public? And how can each and every individual participate?
Conclusion: Everyone is part of the public and has the right to have their opinion heard and their needs respected. Last year, imagine Kenya successfully campaigned for this.
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