Browsing by Author "Pickering, Esther R."

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    Youth and development : exploring opportunities for youth participation in community development in Cambodia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development Studies at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2025) Pickering, Esther R.
    This purpose of this thesis is to understand the existing opportunities for youth voice in community development in Cambodia. This study engaged with NGOs in Cambodia working to explore possibilities to expand youth participation in decision making processes. Young people have a right to express themselves and the right to be actively heard. This was a right included in Article 12 of the UNCRC (1989). Approximately 70% of the population in Cambodia is under the age of 30 (World Population Review, 2025, para. 1). This large population of young people in Cambodia indicates a crucial opportunity to empower and develop the capacity of this national treasure and human potential. Participation and empowerment are core principles in a Rights-Based Approach to development (Gready, 2008). Through this framework, I analyse the relevance of two models of youth participation in the Cambodia context. The first is Lundy’s (2007) theorising of Article 12 of the UNCRC through notions of space, voice, audience and influence, and secondly Hart’s (1992) ladder of participation. My primary methods were semi-structured interviews and creative workshops with young people. Both methods were conducted when visiting Cambodia for 5 weeks in July-August 2023. The field research was followed by a thematic analysis of the data. This allowed me to identify repeated patterns of meaning across the data with relevance to my research questions (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The data revealed that community development NGOs in Cambodia are undertaking a diversity of participatory practices with youth. NGOs have intentionally created space for youth to meet regularly, share ideas, and bring them forward to local commune leaders. Other NGOs have fostered trusting relationships between youth and staff. This has allowed for the ongoing presence of youth voice within the NGOs decision-making processes. The workshops highlighted the willingness of Cambodian youth to share ideas and be involved in community development. These youth are expressing their right to be heard and have meaningful influence in their communities. The biggest barrier to youth participation was the restrictive political environment in Cambodia. Participants identified that for youth voice to be valued in Cambodian society, political and individual freedoms needed to increase.