New forms of political participation should be inclusive of all groups of society, say OSCE/ODIHR youth seminar participants
Some 30 youth representatives and activists from South-East Europe discussed ways to promote the political participation of youth in the OSCE region, including through new mechanisms such as social media, at a seminar organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, and with the support of the Serbian OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office, in Belgrade on 2 June 2015.
During the seminar, participants took stock of the recommendations on promoting youth political participation developed during two youth leadership forums organized by ODIHR in 2014, and discussed the role of youth in public participation mechanisms, including political parties, civil society organizations and new media channels. Participants also examined approaches to gender mainstreaming youth policies and issues affecting the effective participation of youth from minority groups.
"Enhancing youth political participation is challenging, yet crucially important for society as a whole, and not only for young people," said Milena Stosic, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office on Youth and Security. "Youth issues are high on the OSCE Chairmanship’s agenda, as youth are also strong catalysts for change. We trust that events like this one can contribute to the creation of a platform for further co-operation between youth activists and encourage OSCE participating States to institute a permanent mechanism for youth participation."
Darko Soković, President of Foundation for New Communications Dokukino, said: "New technologies and social media provide opportunities for more citizens to participate in politics. The recommendations from the Youth Leadership Forums are very helpful, as they explore how ICT tools can be used to enhance political participation, while also taking into consideration the particular need of different groups within society. This will provide great support to me in my daily work of promoting regional youth political participation."
The seminar is part of ODIHR’s ongoing efforts to further promote and enhance the political participation of youth across the OSCE region, in order to support OSCE participating States in fulfilling their commitments on political participation.
Video from the seminar: