From participation to influence: can youth revitalise democracy?

Strasbourg, 3-5 November 2014

How can we draw on young people’s energy to revitalise democratic institutions and processes? In the digital age, what tools, apart from voting, can we put in place to encourage youth participation and to enhance democratic vitality? Are youth parliaments an effective means of getting young people involved in decision-making processes?

Social movements, which are the only means of expression in some countries, are often regarded as locomotives for political change, strengthening democracy and human rights, but can they have a significant and lasting impact in countries which do not yet have a democratic tradition? Should young people, who were born in the digital age, be encouraged to use online platforms for the purposes of active and responsible citizenship?

These important and relevant questions have been debated at the World Forum for Democracy 2014