The Contribution of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union to Social Development, Lao PDR

Abstract

This research of objective to: 1) to assess the contributions of the LPRYU to social development between 2016-2020 and 2) to analyze the problems and obstacles and to provide suggestions of the LPRYU. This research is based on qualitative methods and purposive sampling used, there are two groups of key informants a total of 11 people as: 1) four administrators from the LPRYU; and 2) seven representative staffs from the LPRYU. Research tools are a questionnaire, in-depth interviews, and observations.
The result found:
1. Identified eight contributions of the LPRYU: 1) Contributions to educational ideas for juvenile and youth; 2) Contributions for improving and building the organization of the LPRYU; 3) Contributions to the youth process; 4) Contributions to juvenile work 5) Contributions to youth vocational development; 6) Contributions to the construction of facilities for the development of youth; 7) Contributions to cooperation with foreign countries; 8) Contributions to the results of the inspection of LPRYU.
2. In regard to obstacles and challenges of the LPRYU, the following points were identified: 1) The education work has not been carried out widely and does not match the target group of youths; 2) The organization of villagers and young students abroad in some places has not been guided by the movement as it should have 3) The youth organization system has not been strongly improved; 4) Some youth groups still underestimate the implementation of the law on the LPRYU. The suggestions: 1) seek guidance from the Board regularly to guide the implementation; 2) upgrade the organizational capacity, and guide the work of the Youth Union; 3) Strengthen the existing potential of the people at each level, including self-reliance, self-empowerment; 4) determine plans, programs, projects, activities of the LPRYU to be in line with the objectives of the development; 5) Raise the spirit of unity in the LPRYU at each level related to the activities of various processes in protecting the rights and legitimate interests of the youth.