The importance of listening to others
After weeks of working in a project intended to portray the conditions of young people in Belarus; their political, social, economic, and cultural challenges and obstacles; but also the spaces for improvement that I could identify in the country, knew that one of the most important parts of my work was missing. I could have written hundreds and hundred of pages supporting my findings, a detailed academic work in which, supported by references, numbers, and figures, I could recommend what is missing to fully develop the potential of young people in Belarus: and even the, fall short by a big leap. For that reason, I wanted to conduct a focus group where young people, youth-led organizations, organizations working with youth, and the UNFPA could hear about my work in the country and challenge it. I wanted them to show me things missing in my analysis, and how I could expand and enrich my work. A few days ago, this focus group finally materialized in a fruitful event in which th
