Youth Empowerment through Sociocracy
Sociocracy is used with youth all over the world, not just in schools but also in youth activist organizations. For example, the Neighborhood Children’s Parliaments in India empower children and youth ages 5-18 to advocate for changes in their communities while following the UN Sustainability Goals. Children and youth have successfully initiated sanitation programs, founded libraries, and created programs to support domestic violence and alcoholism in their communities. There is currently a provisional World Children’s Parliament forming to expand the movement worldwide for global youth empowerment.
Resources on Youth Empowerment through Sociocracy
Neighborhood Children’s Parliaments
The Children’s Parliaments network in India are the largest implementation of sociocracy worldwide, with tens of thousands of members ages 5-18. This case study covers an overview of the children’s parliaments as they grapple with issues of local crime, sanitation, and other issues based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Hello, Neighbourocracy Book
Edwin John, the founder of the Children’s Parliaments in India, wrote this how-to manual for starting your own neighborhood parliament for bottom-up activism using sociocracy.
Youth Power Coalition
YPC is a coalition of youth leaders and adult allies building a movement for youth-led collective impact. They advocate for youth decision-making power in all spaces where decisions affecting youth are made, from school boards to city hall. They’re advocating for lowering the voting age, developing leaders who can lead intergenerationally, and mobilizing the resources needed to support youth-led collective impact initiatives.
Youth-led presentation on sociocracy and marginalized voices
Sophie Xu is a co-founder of the Youth Power Coalition (YPC). In this video, she explores how to center historically and currently marginalized voices — especially those of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) — in sociocratic frameworks.
Power to the Children Documentary: Youth Empowerment in India
Power to the Children is a documentary about the Neighborhood Children’s Parliaments in India, a federation of youth activists that numbers in the thousands nationwide.
Here is a recording of a Q&A session with Swarnalakshmi Singh, the former Prime Minister of the Children’s Parliament.
General Resources for Learning and Implementation
Study group curriculum
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Talk to a real human!
You’re not alone on this journey! We can connect you to others who have done it before, or talk you through a strategy that works for your particular circumstances.
More Resources
Dissertation on Children’s Parliaments by Swarnalaskshmi Ravi
Sociocracy for youth activists free training by Wondering School- contact for more info
SoFA School Resource Pages
Sociocracy in classrooms (for teachers)
Sociocracy in entire schools (for administrators)
Sociocracy in schools landing page
