Youth Participation to Sustain Peace during Electoral Processes

Summary

Elections are inherently processes that lay bare differences within a society, and as a result, easily bring about tensions. As agents of change, young people are key advocates of peaceful elections; taking action to prevent and respond to conflict and the potential for violence. Electoral-related programmes can promote youth participation to sustain peace at different levels and degrees.

The purpose of this report is to lay out challenges and opportunities for electoral-related programming involving youth, with a specific focus on programmatic entry points for the promotion of youth participation to sustain peace during electoral processes. The findings have been informed by an extensive consultative process, including regionally focused and youth specific consultations and a youth survey with over 1000 responses, alongside a literature review to assess the current state of play in terms of policies and research that informs programming.

In line with key resolutions and agenda’s, the outcomes of the SELECT once more underline that youth participation in elections transcends mere voter turnout among young people. Moreover, the research confirms that recognizing young people’s positive role can be more effective, in terms of participation rates and from the prevention perspective. In addition, including and investing in youth, in its diversity is a key consideration and cannot be overstated.

The SELECT research process generally, and the youth participation workstream specifically promotes an integrated approach to the prevention of electoral-related violence and the meaningful inclusion of youth by bringing together the communities of practice working on elections, youth empowerment, inclusive governance and peacebuilding. This has brought a holistic lens to the research and its outcomes. It however also showcased the continued need for communities of practice to come together.

In order to support the design of a comprehensive youth participation strategy, informed by young people themselves and in support of peaceful electoral processes, this report suggests that programmes seek to include one or more of the following mutually reinforcing strategies:

• Invest in youth leadership and agency and an enabling environment; electoral-related programmes can consider supporting youth-led peace efforts in communities such as theaters for peace, dialogue meetings, awareness-raising through social media and radio programmes about electoral processes, rights and non-violence, among others.
• Include youth by transforming systems and removing structural barriers; electoral-related programmes can consider opening avenues for youth participation in decision-making processes through youth-friendly policies, enhancing transparency and accountability of institutions and addressing social and cultural norms relating to gender and age that may create a barrier for the implementation of legislation and policies relating to youth participation during elections, among others.
• Partner with young people and their organizations, movements and initiatives; electoral-related programmes can create space for intergenerational dialogue on electoral issues and violence prevention, support engagement mechanisms such as youth councils/caucuses/platforms and include young people in the design of electoral-related programmes.