NIMD El Salvador is set to hold a seminar on 27 September which will bring together young leaders of political parties and youth civil society groups. Participants will reflect on the potential of new digital tools and technologies to increase and deepen citizen participation, and create channels for direct communication between government and the people.

It is hoped that knowledge of digital tools will help these young leaders to strengthen their own participation and that of other young people in their country

Moderated by NIMD Executive Director, Patricia Navarro, the seminar will be kicked off by Peter Klingeman, Honorary Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This will be followed by a session by international expert on public opinion, online communication and online innovation, José Fernández-Ardáiz. During this session, participants will learn how the use of digital tools has led to new ways of doing politics, and explored their potential to increase the quality and legitimacy of decision making.

Delving deeper into this topic, political scientist Saúl Hernández Alfaro and social communicator Ivonne Veciana will also share their vast experience and outlook on digital tools with the participants.

The event is the last in a series of activities organized throughout this summer by NIMD’s Democracy School in El Salvador. Entitled “Tools for youth political participation”, the series of events aimed to equip young people with the tools and knowledge that would inspire them to become active and responsible advocates of development in their country.