Page 14 - Shelter, October 2024
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THEME PAPER
decision-making and improve Government departments as It also activates iterative
the quality and cost-effectiveness well as private institutions feedback mechanisms to
of public services in cities . This have begun leveraging integrate the local needs and
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further creates issues due to social media campaigns perspectives in the urban
inconsistency in data collection and information and developmental process. Public
mechanisms across cities and communication technologies advocacy and awareness
insufficient disaggregated (ICT) to design large plays a significant role to
indicators to accurately platforms moving beyond ensure that diverse voices
inform urban policymaking traditional in-person means are heard by the political and
and commensurate resource such as census surveys, bureaucratic leadership and
allocation. focus group discussions, and consequently implemented in
interviews. This has helped practice. When communities
Digital technologies in enabling dialogue between advocate for their rights,
and tools provide an governments and citizens they can hold the leadership
opportunity to bridge the gap through open discussion accountable to protect and
between citizens and local forums, creative competitions, uphold their rights.
governments. Traditionally, polls, and digital solutions
local authorities and urban challenges. For instance, the Youth advocacy specifically
planners restrict community Government of India has implies using the “youth’s
engagement by disseminating created MyGov.in, an open collective voice to defend and
official documents and digital platform for citizen protect rights or to support
knowledge resources on their engagement. Launching these different initiatives or
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websites or public notices for digital engagement platforms causes” . Their advocacy and
feedback. The documents are and utilising digital tools awareness campaigns have
also technical in nature and enables direct and efficient the potential to transform
not always available in local communication between policies, programmes,
languages. To address this, youth, communities, and actions, behaviours, and
digital data collection, data decision-makers, fostering a investments and direct
analysis and visualisation, collaborative environment for towards youth. Young people
and urban designing tools more informed and inclusive being involved in public
(such as Kobo Toolbox, decision-making. advocacy efforts also leads
Inhabit Place, Miro Board, and to gaining self-confidence,
Safetipin) build responsible Public advocacy and sense of worth, discovering
communities while awareness inner potential, and a feeling
simultaneously enhancing of empowerment to address
digital capacities and have the Public participation and issues and challenges of the
potential to - increase door-to- stakeholder consultation can community. It creates a sense
door engagement, transform provide decision-makers of belonging and solidarity
technical planning processes with the necessary data to of being part of a trustworthy
into interactive games and strategically frame calculated network that works together
enjoyable activities, stimulate policies that suit the audience and can bring about change
critical and analytical thinking and align well with the by challenging conventional
and reasoning skills, and have country’s environmental, power structures.
a bigger reach to marginalised economic, and societal
groups. aspirations and interests. International organisations
16 UNICEF. 2020. Youth Advocacy Guide. Accessed at: https://www.unicef.org/lac/media/38341/file/ENG-Unicef-youth-advocacy-guide.pdf
12 HUDCO-HSMI Publication
