West Africa is a very young region: nearly half of its population is under the age of 20. Yet, young people’s dreams and aspirations remain poorly understood. This lack of data is particularly problematic given the significant challenges many of them face: some grow up in marginalized urban peripheries, while others live in border regions shaped by migration dynamics and security tensions. As they enter the labour market, young people are often confronted with a severe shortage of formal employment; at the same time, the impacts of climate change and the deterioration of public services affect their daily lives.

In this context, examining these aspirations is especially relevant, as the role of formal education in pathways to success is sometimes questioned, and young people are increasingly challenging the “dominant models” of success. As supporting youth is a key priority for AFD Group, it is important that its interventions be grounded in a deep understanding of the aspirations of the youth.

This research project listens to young people in Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal to deepen understanding of their aspirations, models of success and life trajectories. More specifically, it seeks to answer three key questions:

1. What are young people’s aspirations, given the range of possibilities available to them, and how do these vary according to their place of residence, gender, and living conditions? 
2. To what extent do their individual and family life trajectories shape their plans and their ability to achieve them? 
3. What role does education play in their aspirations and life paths?

The data collected is intended for direct operational use: it will help adapt AFD Group interventions in the areas of education, training, and decent employment.

The research team, led by the Institute for Education, Family, Health and Gender (IEFSG) at Assane Seck University of Ziguinchor, brings together Peleforo Gon Coulibaly University (Côte d’Ivoire), Félix Houphouët-Boigny University (Côte d’Ivoire), IRD (France), and the University of Ottawa (Canada).

The IEFSG and the two Ivorian universities designed the survey methodology and will implement it with the support of their doctoral students across three main types of territories selected for their diversity:

• Urban areas (Ouakam and Pikine in Senegal; Yopougon and Abobo in Côte d’Ivoire) 
• Border areas (Sindian and Samine in Senegal; Bouna and Ouangolo in Côte d’Ivoire) 
• “Symbolic spaces” with strong community or religious identities (Touba in Senegal; “New Churches” communities in Côte d’Ivoire)

The methodology combines both qualitative and quantitative approaches:

• Qualitative survey: mapping of socio-educational services and youth support systems (interviews with local stakeholders and authorities, in situ observations); organization of focus groups with young people; in-depth individual interviews on their life trajectories. 
• Quantitative survey: conducted with 3,000 young people in each of the two countries, based on the 2023 national census in Senegal and the 2021 census in Côte d'Ivoire. The questionnaire will be administered using the KoboCollect application.

The results of this research project will be disseminated through several formats in order to reach a wide range of audiences:

1. A collective publication or a contribution to a scientific journal, focused on Africa, will present the main findings of the surveys and consolidate the knowledge produced on young people and their aspirations. 
2. Decision-support tools (policy briefs, guidance notes, etc.) will target policymakers and development practitioners. 
3. The possibility of additional formats (podcasts, creations) will be explored to share the collected life stories beyond academic circles.

A final restitution event will also be organized.

• Elodie RICHE, Research Officer at AFD
• Pr Jean-Alain Goudiaby, Sociologist at IEFSG

In many Brazilian cities, residents spontaneously organize to collectively manage spaces, services, or resources: community gardens, building occupations, and cultural or solidarity-based initiatives. These practices, often referred to as “urban commons,” reflect strong civic engagement in Brazil, yet they remain insufficiently recognized by institutions. The current legal framework primarily favors public–private partnerships, often associated with the privatization of urban services.

In Italy, several cities have found concrete responses to this challenge. Since the 2000s, municipal regulations have enabled citizens to officially collaborate with authorities to take care of urban commons (public spaces, facilities, and heritage). More than 200 cities have adopted this model, which provides a legal framework without commodifying the spaces, resources, and services concerned.

It is within this context that this research project takes place. It is conducted in two cities in the state of Goiás, where strong community dynamics already exist (associations, rural communities, and cultural initiatives). More broadly, the project aligns with AFD’s research priorities on commons and citizen participation. It also contributes to AFD’s broader priorities related to strengthening local governance, citizen participation, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

Read also : How can the Commons approach transform Brazil?

The central research question is: how to create an institutional framework that recognizes and supports these citizen-led practices without turning them into purely market-based services?

To address this, the project seeks to understand how residents in the cities of Goiânia and Goiás collectively take care of their spaces and resources. It also aims to equip local stakeholders with solutions—particularly legal tools—inspired by the Italian experience but adapted to the Brazilian context.

This will take the form of a mapping of local initiatives, the organization of workshops with relevant stakeholders, and the development of a proposed municipal regulation on urban commons. These outputs can help local authorities better support grassroots initiatives, strengthen citizen participation, and develop more inclusive public policies at lower cost.

The project is based on an action-research approach: in addition to fieldwork, interviews, and observations, the research teams organize participatory workshops with residents, associations, and local authorities. A collaborative mapping exercise will document existing practices, while case studies will enable comparisons between Brazilian and Italian experiences. In a second phase, workshops will support the co-construction of concrete initiatives with local stakeholders, and seminars will foster dialogue between researchers, citizens, and policymakers.

The project draws on the expertise of two partners, the Federal University of Goiás and the Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino — PoliTo), as well as the experience developed within the Italian laboratory LABSUS, which specializes in regulations on commons. Local partners (civil society organizations and municipalities) are fully involved.

In addition to scientific outputs, the project includes capacity-building activities for local partners through workshops and collaborative work. It will also deliver several outputs directly useful for local authorities:

• A collaborative mapping of urban commons practices 
• A practical guide with a toolkit for local stakeholders 
• A pilot project co-constructed with a citizen initiative 
• A policy brief proposing a regulation on urban commons

A range of activities will support the dissemination of these tools and results: exhibitions and public events, an online platform, publications.

These outputs will provide local authorities with concrete levers to better support urban commons and will contribute to the broader debate on participatory urban policies in Brazil.

The teams are engaged in a collective dynamic led by La Coop des Communs, the Casa Comum platform, and AFD. The objective is to build a transnational learning community by sharing ongoing work, capitalizing on each other’s experiences, and producing knowledge on the links between commons, citizen participation, and the transformation of public action.This network brings together complementary profiles—researchers, civil society actors, and public decision-makers involved in these initiatives—from Brazil, Colombia, and Europe. Supported by meetings held in Brazil and Italy, this dynamic will lead to a collective publication, currently in preparation, which will compare and contextualize the various research projects undertaken.