Abstract
Globally, young people have demonstrated a certain level of disenchantment with the way their societies are being governed. Whereas some argue that they have become apathetic and somehow passive bystanders, new trends highlight that the opposite is true in many parts of the world. This paper explores the dynamics of youth groups in Cabo Verde who are acting on their frustrations with the lack of state-led citizenship education and enacting new sites to empower other citizens, foster critical and active citizenship as well as develop capabilities to engage, both individually and collectively, in civic and political activities. Two youth-led initiatives, Djumbai Libertariu and Parlamentu di Guetto, which emerged recently in the capital city Praia, will be analysed as social movements contributing to the emergence of new civic spaces, led by youth, for citizenship education, with the aim of tackling the lack of civil society action and attempting to address issues of general concern through both individual and collective action.
Highlights
Young people have demonstrated a certain level of disenchantment with the way their societies are being governed
Empirical data was collected as part of a fieldwork conducted in Cabo Verde in March 2019–2020, where there were opportunities to take part in many youth-led community initiatives designed to contribute to the improvement of civic education and political participation among different segments of society
This paper argued that despite the challenges of civil society groups in post-colonial societies, a fundamental paradigm shift is currently underway to reposition the citizen at the very centre of politics and the political
Summary
Young people have demonstrated a certain level of disenchantment with the way their societies are being governed. “In order to advance the skills and capacities required to engage actively, democracy needs people who collaborate and who have civic virtues and habits” [1] It emphasises the role of individual citizens as key actors with rights and responsibilities and aims at preparing them to be part of society through the development and learning of empowering skills, knowledge and attitudes. As argued by Levinson [5], human beings are not born under any particular form of government and are not likely to naturally develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions required to maintain it This is of particular relevance to democratic states, as in order for democracies to function effectively citizens need a certain level of endorsement of the values and norms inherent to democratic regimes [6]. The focus is on educating citizens, younger ones, regarding the “ways of the state”, in an attempt to guarantee compliance with its modus operandi and the adherence to basic principles
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