Final Evaluation: Youth Engagement to Promote Stability in East Timor

This report presents the findings of the final summative evaluation of the three year project “Youth Engagement to Promote Stability”, implemented by SFCG Timor-Leste and its partners. Funded by USAID, the project aimed at transforming the way in which youth engage with government and community leaders to promote peace and reconciliation and prevent election-related violence. The findings of the evaluation show that despite shortcomings and challenges, the project has been highly successful in building relationships between youth and government authorities, as well as local political and civil society leaders. It has provided a platform for youth to organize and express themselves and collaborate with authorities to ensure youth participation in peacebuilding and democratization process in Timor-Leste.The project provided youth with positive alternatives and engaged them in extra-curricular activities and recognized that most Timorese youth have extremely limited opportunities for skill building and self-betterment. Having them coordinate joint activities with government leaders and engage meaningfully in civic dialogue is desirable but likely to occur further down the line. It also recognized the extremely low capacity of Timorese community radio stations and focused more on providing them with high quality radio programs to broadcast and on improving their skill level in basic journalism, and somewhat less on how the radio programs that result are changing the community. The project has been a stepping stone in building the capacity of Timorese youth and media professionals and contribute towards promoting constructive engagement of youth in peace and development of Timor-Leste.

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