Increasing Youth Participation in Democracy
Through the Višegrad Fund-supported project “The New Democratic Wo/Men of the Western Balkans – Increasing Youth Participation in Democracy”, Humanity in Action Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with partnering organizations from Poland, Montenegro, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, will aim to increase the awareness of democratic processes among the youth of the Western Balkans and enhance youth participation in policy-making processes.
Focus of the project
Based on numerous studies published, the majority of today’s youth in the EU and the Western Balkans are the least politically engaged generation – both formally and informally. They often claim that authorities do not care about their needs and problems and young people cannot have any impact at all on the current direction of their country – their voice is unheard even through elections since their level of participation is low. Young people tend to be passionate about a single-issue topic, e.g. climate change, poverty, individual freedoms, LGBTIQ+ rights, etc., which does not often necessarily translate into votes. The youth is becoming more and more socially inactive, detached from the local and national policies.
Throughout the project, young people will:
- get involved in various real political issues that challenge the nation,
- solve problems faced by nations (modeled on a variety of actual problems),
- learn about the importance of leadership, organization, and getting involved in local and national activism, and
- adapt their knowledge and skills to be able to become an active citizen promoting democracy.
Young people critically lack knowledge, skills, and competencies to be actively engaged and in political processes, often leaving them feeling alienated from government, public policies, institutions.
Our goal is to fight apathy, hopelessness, disillusionment, and pessimism among young people and give them the courage to fight for the causes they are passionate about.
Project Modules
A total of 108 active and aspiring young leaders (18-30 y/o) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, who are high school/university students or junior/entry-level employees working in the civil, state, and business sectors, will participate in three meetings (two online meetings and the final event in Sarajevo), which will consist of seven modules (2-3 per meeting):
- introduction to democracy (political process and administration),
- linking legislation of practice (impact of legislation on the social system, business environment, etc.),
- local politics (vertical division of power and competencies),
- active civil sector (human rights and watchdogs of democracy),
- communication and campaigns (ethics and integrity, public speaking, and political marketing),
- project management (management, fundraising, and stakeholders mapping),
- critical thinking (argumentation and fake news).
Project Activities
- During the project implementation, the participants will develop their own initiatives in the form of videos, photo reports, blogs, presentations, or any other form they will find suitable, which will include the young leaders’ suggestions of solutions to the problems they have previously identified as present in their countries.
- The participants will be encouraged to organize lectures for their peers in schools, universities, or youth centers on the topics from the project modules. The participants will be rewarded with bonus points to further motivate them.
- At the final workshop in Sarajevo, participants will present the results of the project, their own mini-projects, and ideas on how to potentially reform their respective countries.
For more information please contact Veronika Kusyova, Project Associate at v.kusyova@humanityinaction.org
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