Peer to Peer Education
All our programs are delivered through our youth-led, peer- to -peer education model, which enables the transfer of knowledge and skills to the large numbers of young people working in youth groups, in addition to schools and other training institutions. Peer -to -peer education model provides rigorous support for the youth, to receive and exchange knowledge and experiences. Peer educators play an intermediary role, linking youth groups to local service providers, governments, the business community and civil society organizations.
In Sri Lanka, each peer educator reaches out to approximately 150 youth. Through our network of 80 to 200 peer educators, we typically reach out to 1,000 to 1,500 young people, per year. The model enables us to reach young people in the remotest corners, for example those in re-settlement camps in the North and fishing communities in the East. In addition to engaging and connecting youth, peer educators work closely with the government, business leaders and service providers to support them to reach the youth more effectively. This increase capacity amongst local stakeholders, and promote group structures and local networks to remain beyond the program cycle. Therefore, a relatively short but intense period of investment through peer education model can achieve a longer-term impact
Youth-led Research
IYAP houses a talented team of researchers who are passionate, and well versed in knowledge and skills required to perform specialized research on the challenges faced by the youth. This research assists us in developing projects and programs aiming to develop lasting solutions to problems faced by the youth. This includes partnering with the World Vision and United Nations’ Volunteers, as well as several other organizations working on peace development, to provide consultations and gather voices for the UNSCR2250 report on Youth, Peace and Security
Link – https://www.youth4peace.info/node/297
Youth Mobilization
IYAP has a thorough understanding of the challenges faced by young people and how to best mobilize, engage and motivate youth in order to execute change in their communities. The peer educator model can be used to engage and inform young people from varying backgrounds, and is particularly effective in linking youth in remote and rural contexts to the services. It has been successfully adapted to meet the specific needs of groups that are at a disadvantage, including orphans and vulnerable children, people living with HIV, people with disabilities and people affected by conflict.
Youth Engagement
We also work with a range of institutions and service-providers to promote effective youth engagement strategies. This includes health workers, teachers, community liaison officers, and CSO representatives. We have also supported major INGOs and development agencies to develop their youth programs and policies, as well as supported private and public sector service-providers to reach young people more effectively.
Convening the Youth Sector
IYAP is a member organization of the Youth, Peace and Security Sri Lanka Working Group, an active sector forum which meets bi-monthly and has over 100 individual members.
We also have our own Youth Forum – Youth Matters, where young people, activists, youth organizations, clubs, sports clubs and Inter-Governmental Agencies come together once a month to discuss the most urgent issues, to build strategies and solutions which they can work together for. This forum was initiated by IYAP and now being implemented with ZERO funding, in five main districts, on a monthly basis. The program has proved its success over the last two years, having gathered over 80 organizations and 2,000 young people, over time.
Policy & Practice
Top policy makers should reach out to youth at grassroots levels, to identify their needs, since it is important to consult them prior to formulation of policy decisions. The centre of interest of IYAP is on a dialogue between the policy makers and the youth. At the same time, we believe in joint decision making between the two parties. In accordance with this, IYAP was able to successfully bring together policy makers and the youth, to formulate Teachers’ Transfer and Recruitment Policy, jointly advocated by the Open Government partnership in Sri Lanka and Viluthu Organization.