Education is one of the major avenues that can prepare rural youth for agricultural futures, however, in low-income countries, many young people are not able to complete school due to poverty and poor schooling systems and therefore cannot access the education they need to engage in agri-food systems. This presentation will focus on the potential of the youth of Papua New Guinea (PNG), a low-middle income country to the north of Australia. PNG is experiencing a youth bulge and high unemployment as many young people with little formal education drift to the city where they typically do not find work. Much of the current PNG research on youth focuses on the dangers of young people’s risky behaviours to themselves and others, and on their many needs. This deficit-based approach sees young people in a risk or problem frame rather than for their strengths. The presentation will show how a strengths-based education program development approach can turn the analysis from a deficit focus to understanding how the socio-cultural contexts of young people can identify what strengths can be built on as well as identifying the diversity of young people. This then enables the development of formal and informal education for young people and their communities.

Authors:
Barbara Pamphilon, University of Canberra, Australia

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Barbara Pamphilon is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Centre for Sustainable Communities, University of Canberra in Australia

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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