Youth and Democracy

In general, political youth participation in developing democracies is quite poor: young people are not always interested, do not trust politics, or simply do not get the opportunity to participate. It is, however, very important for young people to participate in the political process, especially in developing democracies with a very young population. Disregarding these youth would not only result in a misrepresentation of the population but would also be a missed opportunity for politicians to strengthen their political parties with a lively youth organisation. Furthermore, it is very important for a young democracy to develop democratic values and skills at the earliest possible age, to help safeguard democracy for the future. In general, we argue, political youth participation is not only beneficial for youth but also for the political parties and the country as a whole. For these reasons, we believe that youth participation in politics should form an integral part of any plan for democratisation.