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World Forum for Democracy 2014
Date: 12.11.2014
From participation to influence: can youth revitalise democracy?
Today, we witness among young people a rising abstention from electoral participation and party politics, distrust in mainstream media, and sometimes violent rejection of traditional embodiments of political power. In transition democracies, young people are at the forefront of movements of popular rejection of corruption and electoral fraud, but are conversely marginalised in the process of democratic consolidation. In times of economic crisis, young people are increasingly faced with exclusionary barriers in the "everyday arenas". How to increase any democratic participation of youth through the labour market when employment opportunities decrease? Is education a real promise for prosperity and security, and is it a good vehicle for inclusion that extremely qualified generations now have less guarantee of access to the labour market, leading some to speak of a "lost generation"?
The Strasbourg World Forum for Democracy is an annual gathering of leaders, opinion-makers, civil society activists, representatives of business, academia, media and professional groups to debate key challenges for democracies worldwide. The insights gathered during the World Forum meetings inform the work of the Council of Europe and its numerous partners in the field of democracy and democratic governance.
This year 217 young people from 100 countries came to Strasbourg with the support of the EYF and the Conference of INGOs to take part in the 3rd World Forum for Democracy, “From participation to influence: can youth revitalise democracy?” (3-5 November). They had two and a half intensive days of preparation at the European Youth Centre, filled with creative workshops, discussions and simulations. A global action was started: Shaking democracy.
During the World Forum itself, participants were involved in discussions in 21 labs on 4 focus themes: Influencing minds, Influencing Decision-making, Influencing policies, Influencing institutions. They took part in 6 unconferences, which were participant-driven workshops with an agenda created by the attendees on an online platform before the meeting (1 unconference was initiated by the Council of Europe’s youth sector on co-management). They presented 4 different prototypes of an ideal democracy to all participants, politicians, media, activists etc.
Read more here.
Language
English
