Belize City Council hosts youth shadow councils’s 5th cohort

The Belize City Council is investing in the next generation of civic leaders through the fifth cohort of its Youth Shadow Council Programme. Twelve young Belizeans have officially begun a year-long journey that will see them working alongside elected City Councillors, learning first hand about local governance, public service, and community leadership. The newly selected participants recently took part in an orientation session designed to prepare them for the responsibilities ahead. The orientation marked the official start of the programme, introducing the young councillors to the structure and functions of the Belize City Council while outlining the expectations of their year of service. Throughout the programme, participants will be paired with elected councillors, giving them the opportunity to observe decision-making, participate in community initiatives, and gain practical experience in municipal governance. The Belize City Youth Shadow Council remains the only municipal youth council of its kind in our country. Since its inception, the initiative has provided dozens of young Belizeans with opportunities to strengthen their leadership skills, become more civically engaged, and contribute meaningfully to the development of Belize City. Programme Manager Michael Fritz says the initiative is much more than an introduction to local government—it is designed to empower young people to become active leaders within their communities.

Michael Frazer, Project Manager: “Since we first began in 2019, there have been a couple of add-ons to the Belize City Youth Shadow Council program. Firstly, in terms of number of participants, whereas we started off at 11 per cohort, one mayoral candidate or shadow councillor and 10 council members. We now have a 12th shadow councillor with the inclusion of the city administrator on the Belize City Youth Shadow Council which is a very important role in terms of coordinating with the other Shadow Council members and making sure that projects and other interventions are taken into consideration and completed. The City Administrator for the Normative City Council is a very important position in terms of making sure that the policies that are debated at the caucus level are actually implemented and followed through. So the addition of the Shadow City Administrator likewise would lend itself well for the implementation of the program. So when it comes to this fifth cohort it’s very early on. In fact, we just did our official orientation and sensitization session last week and we’re focusing on the official portraits and portfolio assignments this week. But possibilities are open in terms of who would be able to go to whichever sister city we do make partnerships with to facilitate the governance exchange.”

Now in its fifth year, the programme continues to grow as more young people express an interest in serving their communities. Council officials say the Youth Shadow Council not only helps participants understand how local government operates, but also encourages them to develop the confidence, critical thinking, and public service mindset needed to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Michael Frazer, Project Manager: “I’d say it is a leadership bootcamp. They were chosen out of many candidates. So it’s an opportunity for them to soak in all of the experience, all of the training, all of the opportunities to actually not only function as an excellent youth Shadow Councillor, but also function as an excellent youth leader. It’s an opportunity to take what’s provided and actually use to build your capacity so that you can go forward from the youth Shadow Council and continue to serve the city and continue to serve the country.”

Looking ahead, organizers hope to build on the programme’s success by expanding its reach and creating even more opportunities for youth to participate in civic leadership.The twelve members of the fifth cohort will spend the coming year shadowing Belize City Councillors, participating in community projects, attending council activities, and gaining valuable experience as they prepare to become the next generation of leaders in Belize./