Last month the World Youth Congress took place in Honolulu, Hawaii. Over the years, more than 10,000 young people used this platform to advocate their needs to leaders and to support the development of youth-led solutions to overcome challenges in many areas, including democratic governance. One of the key and timely questions the Congress explored was, how can young leaders better engage with, and influence, local, national and global decision-makers? Since 1999, when the United Nations declared August 12, as the International Youth Day, there is growing recognition that youth everywhere can be agents of change, and be critical actors in the promotion, maintenance, renewal, and sustainability of democratic governance. That is why, each August 12 the United Nations has focused on a policy issue to highlight youth roles and contributions. This year for example, International Youth Day 2017 will be dedicated to celebrating young people’s contributions to conflict prevention and transformation as well as inclusion, social justice, and sustainable peace.
Read More “The Changing Trends of Youth Participation in Democratic Governance: Going Local?”
