Parliament meets Gampaha youth to hear their ideas, concerns and policy proposals

The Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative and the Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII) are working together to create these spaces for meaningful youth–Parliament engagement, with the first phase providing a foundation for expanding the dialogue to additional districts in the future. The Gampaha engagement forms part of the first phase of a broader Voice to Policy Dialogue series covering Gampaha, Kandy and Batticaloa

• Over 65 young people engage with seven Members of Parliament at the first Voice to Policy Dialogue under a wider district-level youth–Parliament engagement initiative 

Over 65 young people from Gampaha District came together with seven Members of Parliament at the Voice to Policy Dialogue on Sunday, creating a direct platform for Parliament to listen to the ideas, concerns and policy proposals of young people and discuss how these perspectives can contribute to future policy discussions.

The dialogue was organised by the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, in partnership with the Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII), at the Jetwing Blue Hotel in Negombo.

The Gampaha dialogue is the first of three district-level engagements planned under the first phase of the Voice to Policy Dialogue initiative, with similar dialogues to be held with young people in Kandy and Batticaloa. The initiative is intended to create direct and structured opportunities for young people in different parts of the country to identify issues affecting their communities, develop policy proposals and engage directly with Members of Parliament. Following the first phase, similar engagements are envisaged in additional districts.

Bringing Parliament and young people closer

The Voice to Policy Dialogue puts the principles of the Open Parliament Initiative into practice by creating a structured space for citizens to engage directly with Parliament.

The Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative works to strengthen the relationship between Parliament and citizens by promoting greater public participation, transparency, accountability and inclusivity in parliamentary processes. The dialogue provides an opportunity for young people to move beyond simply expressing concerns and to contribute directly to discussions on policy priorities and possible solutions.

The program was designed around two stages. In the first stage, young participants worked together through a participatory process to identify concerns, explore different perspectives, cluster common issues and collectively prioritise areas requiring policy attention. Participants then developed recommendations and prepared their priority areas for presentation to Members of Parliament.

The second stage brought the youth representatives together with Members of Parliament for a direct dialogue. Youth representatives presented their priorities, followed by a structured discussion with parliamentarians and an open-floor session where participants could raise questions and concerns. The program concluded with a read-back of the recommendations and Members’ responses.

Seven MPs engage directly with Gampaha youth

The dialogue was attended by the Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative Co-Chairs Prof. Krishantha Abeysena MP and Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam MP, together with Chamindranee Kiriella MP, S.M. Marikkar MP, Prageeth Maduranga MP, Major General (Rtd.) G.D. Sooriyabandara MP, and Champika Hettiarachchi MP.

The participation of seven Members of Parliament provided young people with an opportunity to place their concerns directly before elected representatives and engage in a substantive discussion on issues extending across social, economic, political and development priorities.

Youth put forward a broad policy agenda

The discussions reflected the diverse concerns and aspirations of young people in Gampaha.

Participants raised issues relating to education and higher education, vocational training, employment and livelihoods, entrepreneurship, political participation, governance, healthcare, public infrastructure development, technology and digital transformation, cryptocurrency and emerging economic opportunities, among other areas.

Specific concerns and proposals included exploring ways to reduce the time required for young people to complete higher education and graduate, creating greater opportunities and pathways for young people interested in politics and public service, and improving awareness of and access to entrepreneurship opportunities.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of ensuring that young people are better equipped to benefit from emerging opportunities in technology, entrepreneurship and employment, while addressing wider public policy concerns relating to healthcare, infrastructure and governance.

From youth recommendations to Parliamentary follow-up

A key outcome of the dialogue was a commitment to take the recommendations and issues raised by young participants forward for consideration within Parliament.

The Parliamentary Caucus also indicated that relevant young people could be invited to engage with appropriate parliamentary committees, creating a pathway through which young people’s knowledge, experiences and proposals can contribute to parliamentary deliberations beyond the dialogue itself.

To support continuity and follow-up, a youth rapporteur was appointed to document the recommendations and agenda emerging from the dialogue and submit them to the Open Parliamentary Caucus for further consideration.

This mechanism is intended to ensure that the issues raised during the dialogue are documented and can continue to be followed up through the relevant parliamentary processes.

Building a district-level youth–Parliament dialogue

The Gampaha engagement forms part of the first phase of a broader Voice to Policy Dialogue series covering Gampaha, Kandy and Batticaloa.

Each dialogue will follow the same participatory model, giving young people an opportunity to identify and prioritise issues relevant to their communities before engaging directly with Members of Parliament.

The initiative is intended to create a stronger connection between young people’s lived experiences and parliamentary policymaking, while allowing Parliament to hear perspectives from young people across different districts and communities.

The Parliamentary Caucus for Open Parliament Initiative and the Coalition for Inclusive Impact (CII) are working together to create these spaces for meaningful youth–Parliament engagement, with the first phase providing a foundation for expanding the dialogue to additional districts in the future.

The Voice to Policy Dialogue represents a practical step towards a more participatory relationship between young citizens and Parliament — creating opportunities for young people not only to voice their concerns, but to contribute ideas, propose solutions and engage with the parliamentary processes through which public policy is shaped.