Key Definition

• Youth: For the purposes of this youth policy, a youth is a Basotho aged between 15 and 35 years old in accordance with the African Youth Charter.
• Youth Worker (or Youth Development Practitioner): People who guide and support young people through activities that intentionally seek to positively impact in their personal, social and educational development to help them reach their full potential in society as young people.
• Youth Organisation: A public club, association, or organisation formed and registered in a manner prescribed by the laws of Lesotho and related guidelines in which Basotho youth comprise not less than 75% of its members. Youth organisations attend to and satisfy common needs and interests of young people of individual youth groups.
• Youth Serving Agency (or Youth Development Agency): An organisation or public legal person, one of the purposes of which is youth-oriented activities which meets youth needs. Youth Empowerment: The attitudinal, structural, and socio-cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to take charge of their lives by addressing their situation and taking action in order to improve their access to resources and transform their consciousness through their beliefs, values, and attitudes. Empowered youth make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people in society.
• Youth Participation: The involving of youth in responsible, challenging actions that meets genuine needs, with opportunities for planning and/or decision-making affecting others in an activity whose impact or consequence is extended to others— i.e., outside or beyond the youth participants themselves. Other desirable features of youth participation are provision for critical reflection on the participatory activity and the opportunity for group effort toward a common goal.
• Youth Development Mainstreaming: The process of assessing the implications for young women and men of any planned activities, including national legislation, policies, programmes, stakeholders and institutions for youth development in all areas and at all levels.
• Youth Development Stakeholders: There are the various stakeholders in promoting, facilitating and addressing youth issues in Lesotho. For this NYP, specific responsibilities at rested upon civil/public servants, community leaders, development partners, the media, NGOs/CSOs, parents, policy makers (parliament, senate, cabinet), persons with disability, politicians, the private sector, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, traditional leaders, youth, youth leaders, youth workers, and development practitioners.
•  Ministry: If mentioned on it own in this NYP refers to the Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sports and Recreation (MGYSR) or any future Ministry where the coordinating function of youth policy lays.
•  Director: If mentioned on its own in this NYP refers to the Director of Youth.
• Department: If mentioned on its own in this NYP refers to the government Ministry department responsible for coordinating youth policy in Lesotho.
•  Minister: If mentioned on its own in this NYP refers to the government Minister responsible for youth development in Lesotho.
•  Principal Secretary: If mentioned on its own in this NYP refers to the civil servant who is the head of the Ministry responsible for youth development in Lesotho.

Vision

Department OF YOUTH remains consistent with the Government of Lesotho's national vision of empowerment of Basotho Youth through the effective integration of youth into socio-economic development issues of the country.

Goals

EMPOWERMENT OF ALL BASOTHO YOUTH through:

• Proper coordination of youth interventions and initiatives in Lesotho.
  
• Promotion of self esteem and dignity of all Basotho Youth to ensure their physical, intelletual & moral well being.
  
• Taking all measures to enhace Basotho Youth Capabilities to contribute to the transformation of the economy and soceirty they live in.
  
• Acceleration of Basotho youth's full participation in the socio-economic, cultural and political life in Lesotho and beyond.
  

Objectives

1. To consolidate, promote and mainstream youth development issues into all national policies, programmes and the national budget.
2.  To mobilise resources for youth programmes and projects at all levels.
3.  To build the capacity of youth to take charge of their own well-being by building their assets and realising their potential.
4.  To increase meaningful youth participation in decision-making, leadership, and in community based and other development programmes.
5.  To strengthen the capacity of youth development institutions and ensure integration and coordination in the delivery of youth services in Lesotho.
6.  To initiate, strengthen and streamline programmes, interventions and services targeting Basotho youth.
7.  To promote the social and economic empowerment of youth through actions that protect. empower and prepare them for life.
8.  To provide psycho-social support and other services to youth-at-risk and to disadvantaged groups.

Guiding Values and Principles

• Gender equality.
• For ALL Basotho youth, everywhere.
• Holistic, Competent and Transparent.
• Nothing for youth without youth.
• Alignment with other national and international policies.
• Youth development involves ALL stakeholders.
• Outcomes and Results-focused.
• A commitment to a youth-centred and an assets-based youth development programming approach.
• Lesotho is committed to promoting positive youth development.
• A commitment to mainstreaming youth development.