Youth and MPs unite at Athens conference to enhance youth participation in politics
Teenagers and MPs from various countries gathered to discuss strategies for increasing youth participation in democratic processes during the “Teens for Democracy” session at the 12th Athens Democracy Forum on Tuesday.
Key topics included the barriers young people face in accessing political processes, the conditions needed to make voting at age 16 meaningful, and the significance of inclusiveness and empowerment.
“Youth participation is not just about voting,” said Greece’s Angelina Kyrousi, emphasizing that low engagement stems from the political and educational systems’ failure to adequately represent teenagers and to “promote critical thinking, political awareness, and human rights.”
Proposals from the teenage representatives included the establishment of youth councils at both local and national levels, as well as formal procedures to involve young people in parliamentary decision-making.
Nefeli Chatziioannidou, the youngest member of the Greek Parliament, remarked, “Even the language used in politics is very distant from what young people can relate to,” and added, “We need to start much earlier, even in kindergarten, to reach children and truly involve them.”
The 12th Athens Democracy Forum, organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation in cooperation with The New York Times, is being held in Athens from October 1 to 3.
For more information, visit https://www.athensdemocracyforum.com/.
