ABSTRACT
32 The popularity of participatory planning has grown substantially in recent years, with support from a wide range of international agencies, national governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). While previously considered a revolutionary idea, today citizen participation in community development is widely accepted, and support for the participation of young people continues to grow.
However, despite the rhetoric that is reflected in many speeches, reports and project proposals, the realities of citizen participation are often misunderstood (particularly the participation of young people) and the practice of participation is often misdirected, applied in inappropriate ways, or controlled and manipulated for purposes that are at odds with the interests of local communities.
This chapter provides a basic definition of what we mean when we talk about 'participation', both in general terms and specifically as it relates to young people. This basic understanding of what participation is — and what it is not — provides the essential foundation for any participatory planning programme.
