Opening the door to politics for and with young people
As NIMD, we believe that democracy can only thrive when all voices are heard – this includes young people. Youth are demanding their seat at the table and want it now. Through our programmes, we aim to contribute to the active participation of all young people in society, regardless of their age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnic background, and help equip and encourage a new generation of political actors with democratic values.
Gracia Grande from NIMD El Salvador, Mahamadou Cisse from the NIMD office in Mali, and Roxanne van der Bliek, our knowledge officer on youth in the Netherlands, work very closely with youth who have political aspirations. In this article, they discuss why including young people in politics is essential. According to them, an increased spotlight on young people must go hand in hand with an increased understanding of young people.
Disengaged or disillusioned?
It seems the world is finally waking up to the pressing need of youth in politics, statements around the role of youth in democracy seem to be growing. From “we should invest more in youth” to “youth are alienated and disengaged from democracy.” But these statements need untangling.
The statistics sound alarming, take the latest Open Society Barometer, for instance. In 2023, the Open Society Foundations commissioned a poll of more than 36,000 respondents from 30 countries on human rights and democracy. Their main conclusion? Young people around the world are disengaged. They hold the least faith in the democracy of all age groups, where the results showed that 57 per cent of 18- to 35-year-olds think democracy is preferable to any other form of government, compared to 71 per cent of older respondents.
We recognize this conclusion, but a crucial step is still missing. How can youth be alienated and disengaged from democracy if, at the same time, young people are also the ones who often carry social movements and push for change?
These realities seem contradictory but can be explained quite easily: youth are disappointed not in the concept of democracy itself, but by its implementation. Young people adhere to democratic principles that guarantee social justice and respect for their civil rights and fundamental freedoms. At the same time, they reject a particular practice of democracy that favours lousy governance. Democracy has excluded them and not served or listened to their interests and needs.
We must grasp the gap between young people’s desire for democracy and their rejection of bad governance. Their active political life outside formal institutions demonstrates a clear engagement with democracy. Blaming young people for being disengaged frames them in a negative light and strengthens the negative cycle of stereotypes, marginalization and exclusion.
WE NEED TO GRASP THE GAP BETWEEN YOUNG PEOPLE’S DESIRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND THEIR REJECTION OF BAD GOVERNANCE.
Economic and social exclusion
Young people are often seen as the instigators of violence. Whenever violent conflict erupts in societies with large youth populations (youth bulges), it is blamed on the youth. They are the ‘troublemakers.’
However, what is missing in such arguments is that it is not the youth who cause these conflicts but the systematic and consequent exclusion of young people and other marginalized groups in society. Their anger and dissatisfaction are not surprising when educational systems fail; youth unemployment is relatively high, and young people are entangled in a search for identity and a sense of belonging.
Blaming young people simplifies the issue and allows a sole focus on young people, whereas we should be asking the more complex questions related to economic, social and democratic exclusion. Therefore, statements that the youth are politically disengaged are too simple, stereotypical, and even sensational.
WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE ENTER POLITICS, THEY HAVE LOTS OF ENERGY. THIS CHANGES WHEN THEY ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE EXCLUSIVE CULTURE IN POLITICS.
Taking the youth seriously
When young people enter the political arena, their political will is generally high, and they have lots of energy. Their political will eventually falter when confronted with the exclusive political culture. Even when established political elites open the doors to youth participation, they only open doors for “obedient” youth, not those seeking to transform politics.
Consequently, young people feel hopeless, frustrated, and unheard. They re-focus their energy on other sectors of society or switch to other means of political participation.
Young people dominate non-formal participation through demonstrations or youth-led activism. In El Salvador, for example, young people are leading crucial movements on urgent issues such as environmental reform, gender equality, and LGBTIQ+ rights. That does not sound like alienation and disengagement from politics. Young people want to be taken seriously.
WE NEED A MINDSET SHIFT. LABELING YOUTH AS THE FUTURE DELAYS THEIR PARTICIPATION AND INCLUSION IN GOVERNANCE NOW.
Enabling environment
Youth participation should not be a tick-the-box exercise. Giving a seat at the table is one step but giving youth a voice and really listening to their needs, will give rise to inclusive policies. Established and influential political actors are critical in this in the political spectrum, especially for young politicians. The political environment can be discouraging for young people and let us remember that it is someone who excludes young people.
Tackling youth participation therefore needs to be a holistic approach. On the one hand, the leadership skills of young people need to be strengthened. While, at the same time, we also need to pay attention to the political environment and ensure that it enables broad participation.
Having a seat at the table is a step in the right direction but having a voice and being heard gives rise to inclusive policies. A shift in mindset is needed for youth participation from governments, political parties, NGOs, and international organizations. Young people are the present and not just the future – labelling youth as just the future delays their participation and inclusion in governance in the present. Youths’ contribution to democracy should be recognized, and their crucial role should be formalized and implemented.