2 THE IDEA BEHIND THE WORKING DOCUMENT Organizing for Zimbabwe (O4Z) Trust as a capacity development forum for activists and their community organizations, committed to mobilizing and organizing citizens for informed and active participation in developmental processes, carried out a survey in 2013, with a view to assess and find out from young people their five (5) priority issues from the list proposed by government in the national youth policy. This is based on the prevailing reality where the government is working within a very tight fiscal space, and is unable, in all intents and purposes, to meet its targets as set out in the policy. Moreover, the strategies proposed in the policy are intrinsically linked and have reciprocal impacts. For example, in improved in youth education can impact on gender equality and youth migration. The idea of coming up with a ‘manifesto’ is primarily hinged on helping inform government and other stakeholders, on what the young people think are priorities, which if fulfilled can be a solid foundation to the attainment of all the other youth issues outlined in the youth policy. The rationale has been to help in coming up with an advocacy tool that young people can use in pushing for government to address the most pertinent needs of young people, alive to the changing realities and dynamics in our country. This advocacy tool seeks not to challenge the National Youth Policy, but rather provide the youth perspective to the aspirations of young people, and help inform government and other stakeholders on youth perspectives to addressing their salient issues. As the title of the document suggests, this ‘working document’ is not final, but rather, seeks to be an advocacy tool to assist all stakeholders including the youth themselves, to have a starting point around collective conversations towards the genuine addressing of young people’s issues and the attainment of their aspirations – all towards the sustainable and inclusive development of our country, Zimbabwe. 2.1 THE SURVEY The survey was carried out through structured questionnaires and administered by volunteers to 2000 respondents in 10 administrative provinces of Zimbabwe. The majority of respondents were able to fill out the questionnaire by themselves while a handful needed the assistance of enumerators in filling the questionnaires. There was a wide and random selection of respondents by geo-location and an equal segregation by sex. An analysis of the data gathered reflected the following as the five (5) most salient issues that young people perceive as a priority for their development: 1) Education and Skills Development 2) Youth Employment and Sustainable Livelihood 3) Gender and Equality and Equity

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