Youth participation within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: a pedagogical perspective based on a qualitative content analysis

The contribution aims to present a pedagogical reflection on the role of young people and their participation in the society, drawing on a qualitative content analysis (Berelson, 1952; Hsieh &Shannon, 2005) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Youth participation is a fundamental dimension of international and European policies and strategies, recognised as a right and essential for the interpretation and implementation of all other youth rights. Since the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, European and international institutions have been increasingly working to promote the participation of young people (UN General Assembly, 1989; UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2009; European Union, 2018; United Nations, 2018; Council of Europe, 2020). In particular, in 2015, 17Sustainable Development Goals within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (UN General Assembly, 2015) were agreed by 193 UN Member States to share and fulfill a Programme of Action for People, Planet and Prosperity by the next fifteen years and beyond. A qualitative content analysis (Berelson, 1952; Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) of the 2030 Agenda was conducted to explore how young people are defined and how youth participation is described within the document. In the Agenda, a description of young people as a vulnerable category emerges, hence they are considered the key beneficiaries - together with other groups described as needing to be empowered. At the same time, they are called upon to actively engage in the processes that support the implementation of the Goals and related tasks, as can be seen in several sections of the preamble. A great emphasis is placed on equal access to quality education and economic resources, while less consideration is given to political participation and to equal opportunities for decision-making at all levels. Political participation of young people is only addressed in relation to sustainable, employment-oriented economic growth, without mentioning personal and collective growth and development. From the analysis of the 2030 Agenda emerges several insights and suggestions on the role of young people and their participation in society, describing them as critical agents of change for the future of humanity and the planet. The contribution will give a pedagogical perspective, providing reflections on how the analysis of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can inform educational strategies and practices aimed at empowering young people as active and engaged citizens.