This is a recording of the M&E Thursday Talk from August 17th, 2017 as Dr Michael McGill of Young Peacebuilders led a discussion on “Youth Engagement through Participatory Evaluation: Lessons from West Africa.”
M&E Thursday Talk – Youth Engagement through Participatory Evaluations from DME for Peace on Vimeo.
In this webinar, Dr. McGill explored his framework for ethical and meaningful child participation in peacebuilding as it applies to participatory research. He highlighted a youth peacebuilding project in West Africa and how using this framework (a) could have informed the project’s engagement of youth researchers, and (b) did inform the end-of-project evaluation. The “Engaging Children and Youth as Partners in Preventing Violence against Children” was a nearly 3-year European Commission funded project implemented by Search for Common Ground. It aimed to help eradicate violence against children in three border-sharing post-conflict countries of West Africa: Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Other child and youth peacebuilding participatory evaluations that Dr. McGill conducted in D.R.C., Colombia, and Liberia were also considered.
About the Speaker
Dr. Michael McGill is an experienced scholar-practitioner passionate about linking and increasing support to child and youth peacebuilders and increasing young people’s pro-social civic engagement and democratic participation, particularly in high-risk contexts. He holds a PhD in intercultural studies, a MA in counseling/ psychology, and a BA in Communications. Since 2000 he has been designing and implementing research in conflict-affected contexts, training youth researchers, and facilitating productive interagency and international partnerships and collective impact initiatives. He has invested time in 55+ countries, including living in Uganda from 2012 to 2015. Among other things, Dr. McGill started The Asha Forum—coordinating responses to child sexual exploitation and trafficking, and the World Evangelical Alliance Peacebuilding and Reconciliation Initiative. He is a strategic problem-solver with a demonstrated commitment to reflective practice and evidence-backed action. Dr. McGill serves as the founding Director of Young Peacebuilders. He also offers therapeutic coaching integrated with spiritual direction (MikeMcGill.com). Dr. McGill currently resides in Michigan with his wife Kate and 3 young daughters.
Organizational Bio
Young Peacebuilders is devoted to helping young people become more effective peacebuilders.
Children and youth encounter many roadblocks hindering their peacebuilding potential. We work to remove these roadblocks and build bridges strengthening their peacebuilding capacity. We do this by developing quality child and youth peacebuilding tools, projects, research, and partnerships. Our Young Peacebuilders Consulting Team builds the capacity of other groups to do so as well.