Involving youth voices isn't about pandering to them, but it's about making more effective decisions, with meaningful youth engagement following numerous series of principles developed over the years by governments, youth organizations, the United Nations, and other entities. Through listening, considering, and incorporating youth needs and priorities in national and international decision-making processes, their involvement can become a norm, being formalized, considered and measurable.
From 2021 to 2024, Danielle has served as the Vice President of the World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW) , and has led on the normalization of youth inclusion in governance, through mobilization of +15 000 youth voices from grassroots communities, speaking with a lens on the future for a more peaceful and inclusive governance. Furthermore, with organizations such as UNESCO, UN-Water, Unicef, Aquafed, Water Youth Network, etc. she has pushed for more youth representation in governance in established institutions and organizations.
Since 2022, Danielle is building the African Youth Parliament for Water (AYPW) as a founder/co-founder, and supports and fosters implementation of existing policy strategies for mainstreaming youth and gender equality in the water and governance sector across the African continent. Implemented in 24 African countries, she works with a team of inspiring and committed young leaders, to empower the African youth to deal with local and global water challenges by working towards inclusive governance, and the revitalization of the 54 African youth policies. The AYPW envisions a future where Africa’s youth lead the way in ensuring clean water, improved sanitation, and resilience against climate change. A future where young people promote intergenerational equity, build resilience in their local communities, contribute to policies, drive innovation and implement equitable solutions, essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 6, clean water and sanitation for all. Visit the African Youth Parliament for Water (AYPW)
When youth engagement strays away from integrity principles, it escalates quickly to tokenism, and therefore results in decision-making that is divorced from youth's lived realities, expertise, and solutions. To create a society in which barriers to youth engagement and contribution to governance are overcome or eliminated, trust in governments MUST not be eroded and policymaking MUST not be rendered ineffective. In 2023, Danielle spoke on youth inclusion in governance, and was a special youth representative and keynote speaker on reducing inequalities – implementing Human Rights during the United Nations 2nd water conference in New Y ork 2023. During the 9 t h W orld W ater Forum in Sénégal, and the 10 t h W orld W ater Forum in Indonesia, Danielle shared with decision makers best practices to meaningfully involve youth voices in decision making processes.