The Role of young People as ‘Agents of Change’ to Prevent Crises and Foster Social Cohesion through Arts and Cultural Funding in Mali

Abstract

The article examines how the promotion of art and culture can contribute to crisis pre- vention and the strengthening of social cohesion, using the example of the Donko ni Maaya project of the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Mali (01-12/2020). The project focuses on the promotion of young cultural actors and Ma- lian youth, who are focused on in their role as “agents of change”. The methodological approach is based on 27 qualitative interviews. The result of the analysis is 15 quali- tative indicators that show the impact of arts and culture in terms of five categories: (1) creating alternatives to extremist positions, (2) empowering youth as “agents of change”, (3) promoting a positive and active role for youth in countering extremism, (4) strengthening social and political participation, and (5) strengthening social cohesion.