TOPIC

YOUTH PARTICIPATION
TO SUSTAIN PEACE
DURING ELECTORAL PROCESSES

TOPIC

Executive Summary
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Research
Implementation
e-learning

RESEARCH

Introduction
Implementation
State of the Research
Regional Analysis
Thematic Priorities
Consideration & Recommandations

INTRODUCTION

Young people are strikingly creative in sustaining peace and in bridging divides within and between communities. They participate in elections as observers, educators, candidates and civil society representatives and by monitoring electoral-related violence; promoting peace messages through innovative campaigns; and calling for accountability, inclusion and transparency by raising their voices through digital and offline platforms.

At the same time, young people experience discrimination and exclusion, and young women are particularly affected. A stereotypical view of young people as disinterested in politics, objects of policy and troublemakers has caused development programming to largely focus on motivating young people, prior to elections, to vote while preventing them from engaging in electoral violence. However, this report redirects the focus to the critical role that young people play in sustaining peace, which is in line with the youth, peace and security agenda, and it seeks to help strengthen capacities in this regard during the electoral process. Thus, the aim is to shift the focus to comprehensive, youth-inclusive approaches for the prevention of electoral violence, instead of short-term reactionary approaches to manage the outbreak of violence during election periods. This can contribute towards reinforcing a preventive perspective and long-term activities to sustain peace and reduce the risk of violence during electoral processes.

UN Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace and Security recognizes the importance of participation by urging “Member States to consider ways to increase inclusive representation of youth in decision-making at all levels in local, national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflict … and, as appropriate, to consider establishing integrated mechanisms for meaningful participation of youth in peace processes and dispute-resolution.”Youth participation is a right and makes peacebuilding projects more efficient. All people have the right to participate in public affairs, and young people have the right to be informed, consulted and considered, which implies that young people should have an influence upon decisions regarding their own lives and societies. Participation takes a centre stage in the youth, peace and security agenda and is one of the five pillars introduced by the first and groundbreaking UN Security Council resolution 2250 (2015).

UN Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) on Youth, Peace and Security recognizes the importance of participation by urging “Member States to consider ways to increase inclusive representation of youth in decision-making at all levels in local, national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of conflict … and, as appropriate, to consider establishing integrated mechanisms for meaningful participation of youth in peace processes and dispute-resolution.”
Credible, inclusive, transparent and peaceful electoral processes are essential to confer legitimacy to national and local governments. When these processes are conducted in a well-organized and transparent manner, they often offer the means of channeling grievance and expectations into respectful and constructive debate. But electoral processes can also exacerbate underlying conflict dynamics triggering violence, sometimes undermining years of development and peacebuilding efforts.

This research report is prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as part of the Sustaining Peace during Electoral Processes (SELECT) project, which is funded by the European Commission Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI). The overall objective of the SELECT project is to build the capacity of both national electoral stakeholders and international partners to: (a) identify risk factors that may affect elections; (b) design programmes and activities specifically aimed at preventing and reducing the risk of violence; and (c) implement operations related to the electoral processes in a conflict-sensitive manner.

This will be done by delivering on the two project outputs:
  • Development of an online knowledge hub where implementable programmatic activities related to the prevention of electoral-related violence are listed, informed by research and knowledge development, available in French and English;
  • The organization of outreach events/workshops to enhance electoral violence prevention capacities at national, regional and international level.


The ultimate purpose of the SELECT project is to establish an evidence base to support electoral practitioners in preventing and mitigating election-related violence. This includes a workstream with a focus on youth participation in sustaining peace and preventing violence during electoral processes. The project has also identified entry points for programming to increase capacities of stakeholders and development partners to support young people’s participation in sustaining peace and preventing electoral violence.

UNDP applies a holistic approach to electoral assistance, which includes harmonization with overall objectives in the promotion of democratic processes and long-term support to electoral systems, processes and institutions. The European Union (EU) is a partner of the SELECT project, and the European Commission (EC) and UNDP share a vision regarding democratic governance and the value of electoral assistance in supporting the long-term, sustainable establishment and development of democratic institutions world-wide. The SELECT project builds upon the UN and EU’s joint commitment towards multilateralism and policy priorities relating to conflict prevention. The main conclusion of the initial research phase of the SELECT project was that current programming around elections would benefit from such a long-term and preventive perspective that includes broader governance areas of impact for electoral processes. The first phase was conducted through the European Commission, European External Action Service, European Parliament and UNDP.
UN ELECTORAL ASSISTANCE FRAMEWORK:

UN electoral assistance is provided to Member States at their request or based on mandates from the UN Security Council or General Assembly only. The UN system-wide focal point for electoral assistance matters, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, decides on the parameters of such assistance, based on needs assessments led by the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). Implementation is guided by UN electoral policies set by the Focal Point, in consultation with UN entities, including UNDP.

UNDP’S SUPPORT TO YOUTH EMPOWERMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE:
UNDP has promoted youth empowerment in more than 100 countries and territories, taking a comprehensive approach that is multi-dimensional and multi-level, and for which youth political participation and civic engagement and youth participation in peacebuilding take a centre stage. UNDP’s first corporate Youth Strategy (2014–2017) ‘Empowered Youth, Sustainable Future’ includes a priority area on youth political participation and civic engagement. In 2018, the Secretary-General launched the first system-wide UN Youth Strategy ‘Youth2030’, which, among its thematic priority areas, includes a focus on the rights of young people; youth civic and political engagement; and young people as catalysts for peace, security and humanitarian action. Furthermore, the youth participation pillar of SELECT meets a demand from UNDP practitioners and beyond for more identification and knowledge of entry points for programming regarding support to young people’s participation in sustaining peace during electoral processes and in preventing electoral violence.
THE EU AND YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN RELATION TO ELECTIONS, PEACE AND VIOLENCE:
The EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027 aims to inform the EU’s work across different sectors and support young people’s engagement in democracy and society. The strategy has 11 goals, and of relevance to the SELECT project is the goal on space and participation for all, which aims to: “Strengthen young people’s democratic participation and autonomy as well as provide dedicated youth spaces in all areas of society” including through efforts to “increase youth participation and thus equal representation in the electoral process as well as in elected bodies and other decision-making organs at all levels of society.” Other notable goals in this regard concern inclusive societies and information and constructive dialogue. Furthermore, in 2020, the European Council adopted conclusions on youth in external action, which calls on “support to young people’s active engagement in responding to global challenges and efforts to build democratic, peaceful, inclusive, equitable, tolerant, secure and sustainable societies across the world” and to “support the inclusion of young people, and in particular young women and girls, and their participation in all efforts to prevent conflict, and build and sustain peace.

Youth participation

Participation as a pillar of the UN Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) relates to taking young people’s participation and views into account in decision-making processes, from negotiation and prevention of violence to peace agreements and electoral processes. Youth participation is also an opportunity to deliver on the promises of inclusive electoral processes, and thereby, give voice to people from excluded groups.

A KEY COMPONENT

Participation is a key component of any quality stakeholder engagement and includes access to information and influence in decision-making, and for youth participation, this includes influence in decision-making on all issue areas and not only youth-specific matters. Other relevant components of youth participation are empowerment, learning and life skills, and access to rights. Political participation, more specifically, includes “a broad range of activities through which people develop and express their opinions on the world and how it is governed, and try to take part in and shape the decisions that affect their lives.”

Young people often act for peace in their communities, hold political leaders to account for climate promises and deliver relief to the most vulnerable people, among other areas of action. However, there is low youth participation in formal politics in many societies. Young people and their organizations, movements and networks are more likely to engage through informal processes and alternate spaces. Formal participation can be understood as engagement in established processes or institutions, whereas informal participation refers to people’s organization for political, social or economic aims outside the realm of political parties and formal institutions. In order to understand youth leadership and agency during elections, it is important to consider these alternative forms of participation such as youth civic activism and social movements, and that non-participation is also a form of participation/political expression. The youth survey and consultations of this research process have been a testimony to this.

Young people are not a homogeneous group, and electoral-related programmes would benefit from considering how the various identities of young people intersect and the impact of this in specific contexts in order to promote the participation of young people in their diversity. Leaving no one behind is a principle for sustainable development. To leave no youth behind during the electoral process, stakeholder analyses should be sensitive to young people’s identities relating to class, caste, religious affiliation, tribe, ethnicity, gender, age, people with disabilities and rural/urban, among others.

Youth participation is important and necessary throughout the electoral cycle. An electoral cycle approach “emphasizes the importance of long-term activities aimed at developing capacities for inclusive political participation. It covers the pre-electoral, electoral and post-electoral periods.” This can contribute towards fostering a safe, gender-responsive and enabling environment for youth participation where young people can raise their voices, engage in electoral operations and be agents for peaceful elections. It has become a key priority for the international community to not only amplify youth voices but to find ways to listen more attentively to youth perspectives.

Framing of the subject

The connection between youth participation, electoral processes and the prevention of violence
A focus on prevention and long-term efforts can strengthen the contribution of electoral assistance to address electoral-related violence. The implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda provides an opportunity for fostering and strengthening such a preventive approach. This entails a transformative approach to addressing the ‘violence of exclusion’ that young people experience and investing in youth as agents of change in sustaining peace.

By putting youth participation at the centre of efforts to prevent violent conflict and strengthen governance, the inclusiveness and accountability of democratic processes can be increased by supporting the participation of all people, tackling discrimination and enhancing representativeness. The following addresses three key areas in this regard: trust, inequalities and intergenerational equity.
TRUST
Global and regional surveys find that people’s trust in democratic institutions is declining or remains at a low level across age groups. This can discourage young people from participating in political and electoral processes such as voting, joining a political party or standing for office as well as engaging with national and multilateral institutions on matters of development and peace. Therefore, young people’s mistrust in governance institutions and the electoral process is a key area of concern for electoral-related programmes that seek to contribute towards inclusive governance. Another aspect relating to trust—put forward by young people and development practitioners through consultations as well as research—is how the lack of recognition of young people as right-holders and agents of change is creating a barrier to participation and empowerment and fueling young people’s experience of not being trusted to have an influence upon decisions about their own lives and society. Hence, a key question is how elections can be made more resonant and trustworthy to youth as a way of removing barriers to their participation in governance and peacebuilding. This is a pressing issue given the trends in trust and human security. As the Special Human Development Report (2022) on Human Security notes, there is a link between declining levels of trust and feelings of insecurity: People who experience higher levels of human insecurity are three times less likely to find others trustworthy. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, six out of seven surveyed people felt insecure.
INEQUALITIES
Tackling inequalities is key to fostering a safe, gender-responsive and enabling environment for youth participation. Inequalities are often drivers of violent conflict and impact the lives and agency of young people. The climate crisis and COVID-19 crisis are further exacerbating existing inequalities, and inequalities accumulate throughout life and persist across generations, making it all the more difficult for young people to break out of situations of vulnerability. While young people are agents of change, this stage of the life-cycle comes with particular challenges stretching from being more prone to unemployment and less likely to having one’s voice heard in decision-making. Therefore, an agency-focused approach that recognizes young people’s contribution to societies is essential to support protection against discrimination and tackle political, social and cultural norms to counter exclusion and promote human security. Examples of the impact of inequalities on youth participation in elections are the barriers to young women’s voting in some societies due to unsafe travel to the polling station and limited access to information about elections for indigenous youth.
INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY
Intergenerational equity relates to recognizing responsibilities to future generations and balancing the rights, opportunities and aspirations of current and future generations. Intergenerational equity is a key governance concern in relation to areas such as reducing inequalities and protecting a healthy planet. It brings a focus on long-term decision-making and addressing the barriers of structural inequality that prevent the full participation of some young people in an effort to provide all people with opportunities.

FRAMEWORK OF ANALYSIS

This research report is among the deliverables of the youth participation workstream of the Sustaining Peace during Electoral Processes (SELECT) project. The research process was developed to deliver on the content of the project output 1 for the development of an online knowledge hub and to be used through the project output 2 for capacity-building and outreach. The research process has been designed to be inclusive and participatory to ensure the content produced in the final product has a multi-regional lens and takes into consideration experiences and knowledge from a wide range of stakeholders and particularly young people.

  1. The consultative research process has drawn on recent guidance materials on youth, peace and security programming in the relevant areas of support to sustaining peace during the electoral process with the aim of identifying opportunities for programming to account for the positive role that young people play in sustaining peace and the prevention of violence in the context of elections.
  2. Through consultations, events, desk literature review and scoping interviews, the process has brought together UN/UNDP practitioners; young leaders of organizations, movements and networks; decision-makers; and other experts and stakeholders, and has connected the youth, peace and security community to the electoral assistance community.
  3. The aim of the participatory approach was to: foster engagement of young people and consider youth perspectives from the outset; generate ownership among the actors engaged; support uptake of the outputs; and contribute towards strengthening capacities of organizations throughout the process. To this end, the process was informed by principles, standards and strategies for meaningful youth engagement and youth, peace and security programming.
  4. Essential to the participatory process was the Joint Working Group on youth participation in sustaining peace during the electoral process, which provided overall guidance to the research process by:
    1. providing input to the outputs and product of the SELECT project,
    2. supporting outreach and raising awareness of youth participation in sustaining peace and the prevention of electoral violence and,
    3. fostering coherence in programmatic approaches among a community of practitioners working on electoral assistance and youth, peace and security.
  1. What promising practices, initiatives, activities and projects are being undertaken by national electoral stakeholders and international partners to promote youth participation in sustaining peace during the electoral process?
    Are these preventive and long-term efforts?
  2. What opportunities are there for integrating election-related violence prevention efforts into broader governance areas to promote peaceful, just and inclusive societies (SDG 16)? How can this contribute towards transforming systems that reinforce the exclusion of young people from having an influence upon their own lives and societies?
  3. How do key risk factors of election-related violence relate to the situation of young people? What opportunities are there to support youth political participation, civic engagement and peace efforts as a means to prevent violence and sustain peace?
  4. What peacebuilding and violence prevention activities, initiatives and projects are being undertaken by young people during the electoral process, and what is their impact?
  5. What do young people recommend to promote youth participation in sustaining peace and the prevention of violence during the electoral process?
  6. What are the operational implications for UNDP and other (international/regional/national) organizations seeking to effectively support youth participation during the electoral process?

The youth survey (July 2022)

was designed to provide insights on youth peace efforts during elections and their capacity needs as well as young people’s perceptions relating to peace, violence and elections. The survey was hosted online and circulated through the networks of youth organizations and movements as well as development partners, and it was also shared on social media. More than 1,000 young people responded to the survey. Over half of the respondents were from Colombia, and to identify any deviations, the analysis of the findings checked for regional differences and checked the data with and without the top-three countries in terms of the number of respondents. The analysis of open-ended questions applied a qualitative content analysis to determine themes and draw findings from the textual responses.

Limitations

Some issues are rarely discussed during multi-stakeholder meetings due to sensitivities. Therefore, the research has relied upon other data and studies to provide insights to areas such as protections issues, gender-based violence and threats towards young people engaging in civic space.
Because the experience of peace is context-specific, it is difficult to design global surveys with perception questions on peace and violence. In addition, the survey was shared online, which creates limitations relating to the digital divide since the target group had access to the Internet. This has been considered when drawing conclusions from the findings of the youth survey, and a youth consultation was hosted to validate the findings.
It is beyond the scope of the report to assess the impact of youth-led efforts—which is a general challenge. Instead, the report provides insights to the types of youth peace efforts and how they relate to activities to prevent electoral-related violence.
The programmatic options aim to inspire action to promote youth participation. However, these should not be understood as prescriptive, and context-specific approaches are essential for programming.

STATE OF THE RESEARCH

While it is not new for development partners and stakeholders to advocate for and support young people’s participation in peacebuilding, civic and political affairs, international frameworks are increasingly recognizing youth as agents of change, and research on youth participation is expanding and providing a growing evidence base for the development of electoral-related programmes involving youth and the prevention of violence.

1

TRENDS
The UN Security Council-mandated, independent progress study on youth, peace and security:
‘The Missing Peace’ (2018) finds that societies may reap a peace dividend if the right investments in youth are made and their peacebuilding work is supported. However, to do this, there is a need to move from marginalization to meaningful inclusion of young people, which entails addressing young people’s experience of a ‘violence of exclusion’ that stems from reciprocal mistrust between young people, their governments and the multilateral system.

2

YOUTH AND VIOLENCE
In 2016, almost one-quarter of young people lived in settings affected by armed conflict or organized crime.
  1. In 2016, almost one-quarter of young people lived in settings affected by armed conflict or organized crime. While young people are often portrayed as violent and much research and policy analysis has sought to examine youth violence, there is limited evidence to support a correlation between a large, young population group and high levels of violence, and indeed some peaceful countries have large youth populations.
  2. Research finds that the level of development and regime type is a more pertinent explanatory factor of violence than an increase in the youth population, challenging the notion of youth violence. Research on post-conflict societies in Africa describes youth violence as a “…political response to the dynamics of (dis)empowerment, exclusion, and economic crisis” and a form of agency in a context with limited alternative opportunities.
  3. Other findings highlight that it is critical to include information on the perspectives and the lived experience of young people in order to understand the relationship between youth and violence, as these insights are likely to go unnoticed in quantitative research, for example.
Young people are often seen as a threat to peace and a problem to be solved, which has contributed to fueling a ‘policy panic’ where programmes are directed to respond to youth as a security issue while most people are not engaged in violence. While in some contexts young people are victims or primary perpetrators of violence, the majority of young people are not, and the negative and restraining stereotypes relating to young people and violence—where youth is seen as troublemakers, young men as perpetrators of violence and young women as victims of violence—contribute to overlooking young people’s leadership and agency for peace.

3

YOUTH AND PEACE
Even when young people are excluded from formal political processes and socioeconomic opportunities, they are creating alternative spaces for belonging and peacebuilding action.
On the basis of the participatory research process (4230 young people), the progress study on youth, peace and security describes how young people are taking leadership and ownership in building and sustaining peace across the world. When experiencing exclusion from formal participation in political affairs, youth mobilize for peace in communities through creative ways. When they are not invited to engage meaningfully at the table during a peace negotiation, they work around and outside the room.
A survey of 399 youth-led civil society organizations (CSOs) working to build peace describe types of youth peace work as engaging in all phases of peace and conflict, operating at all levels (from youth-to-youth projects to global advocacy), collaborating with diverse partners, responding to different forms of violence (from political violence to gender-based violence) and forging bridges across areas of work (from development to human rights).

Young people and their organizations, movements and networks do not all—or automatically—contribute to peace. Rather young people are as diverse as the general population, while age as a component of young people’s identity is a transitional phase with particular risks of vulnerabilities.
Research on the efficacy of electoral violence prevention strategies is limited. Some research finds that the impact of peace messaging, voter consultations and youth programming remain unclear and that there is a need for stronger programmes relating to civic engagement and education. At the same time, research on youth participation in peacebuilding indicates an important contribution of youth initiatives, as mentioned above and further elaborated below. Election-related violence is often driven by factors relating to political interests and power dynamics, which might explain the limited effect of smaller, informal initiatives to prevent electoral-related violence. Nonetheless, these same initiatives can contribute significantly at the local and community level to build and sustain peace.

4

YOUTH PARTICIPATION DURING ELECTIONS
There is a generation gap in participation and representation of youth in politics, and young people are often voting less than older generations and express mistrust in governance institutions.
While it is essential to promote youth participation in formal processes to address the exclusion of young people, assessing youth participation in informal processes is key to understanding youth leadership and agency, for instance through CSOs, social media campaigns or protests. Some argue that the barriers to direct youth participation in formal processes such as elections cause young people to seek these alternative forms of participation, while studies also highlight that young people are not interested in participating in governance systems that they consider illegitimate.
The low representation of young people in politics contributes to creating a barrier for youth participation. In 2021, 2.6 percent of parliamentarians were younger than 30, while 49 percent of the global population is under the age of 30, and there has been limited increase in youth representation. According to the International Parliamentary Union, there are few but a growing number of networks and caucuses of young members of parliaments, with parliamentary committees considering youth-specific issues present in more than half of the reporting countries, and youth parliaments existing in more than half of the surveyed countries.

5

NORMATIVE FRAMEWORKS
In recognition of the essential role that young people play in the maintenance of international peace and security, the UN Security Council adopted the groundbreaking resolution 2250 (2015) on youth, peace and security and the subsequent resolutions 2419 (2018) and 2535 (2020).
The youth, peace and security agenda represents a narrative shift towards understanding the role that young people play as agents of change for peace and away from often predominant perceptions of young men as perpetrators of violence and young women as victims of violence.

The recognition of young people as agents of change cuts across the pillars of the UN—development, human rights, and peace and security—with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the sustaining peace agenda, and the Human Rights Council resolutions on youth and human rights, among other frameworks. It is also relevant to support youth participation across the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding nexus.
The UN General Assembly calls upon all Member States to “consider ways to increase the representation of all youth in decision-making at all levels in local, national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms, to promote the constructive political engagement of youth and to consider, explore and promote new avenues for the full, effective, structured and sustained participation of youth and youth-led organizations in relevant decision-making processes” as well as to address barriers that limit young people’s participation and representation.
The UN Secretary-General’s ‘Our Common Agenda’ highlights a continued need for meaningful engagement of the diversity of young people in political processes, promoting political representation of youth, including women and girls, and building the capacity of local youth networks and youth-led organizations. It stresses the importance of ‘listening’ to youth and proposes the initiation of a ‘youth in politics index’ to track the opening of political space, the establishment of a dedicated UN Youth Office and the drafting of recommendations for meaningful, diverse and effective youth engagement in United Nations deliberative and decision-making processes.
The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda are both supporting inclusive approaches to sustaining peace and addressing different forms of exclusion from decision-making processes. While the agendas have many similarities and are interconnected, it is critical to recognize the specific barriers to participation stemming from the different forms of discrimination faced by the population groups.
To advance the implementation of the resolutions, it is key to understand the gendered experiences of young people engaging in peace and security matters as well as the implications of age for women’s participation in processes relating to peace and security. Hence, this relates to the recognition of young women as peacebuilders, the inclusion of young women’s needs and tackling masculinities relating to youth and violence.

Youth should not be equated with women as excluded or targeted groups, and vice versa, and this calls for nuanced approaches to support youth participation to sustain peace during elections.
This research report aims to identify programmatic options for aligning electoral assistance with the youth, peace and security agenda, the system-wide United Nations Strategy ‘Youth2030’, the principle of leaving no one behind of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development along with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 and its promise to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, among other relevant frameworks. It is also of relevance to the EU’s Global Strategy and the UN’s ‘Our Common Agenda’ with the UN Secretary-General’s 2021 report calling for meaningful, diverse and effective youth engagement in political processes as a core component of the social contract. To advance the implementation of the resolutions, it is key to understand the gendered experiences of young people engaging in peace and security matters as well as the implications of age for women’s participation in processes relating to peace and security. Hence, this relates to the recognition of young women as peacebuilders, the inclusion of young women’s needs and tackling masculinities relating to youth and violence. Youth should not be equated with women as excluded or targeted groups, and vice versa, and this calls for nuanced approaches to support youth participation to sustain peace during elections.

6

MOVING FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE
Rather, programmatic guidelines increasingly have focused on supporting young people as agents of change for development, democracy and peace and on fostering a safe, gender-responsive and enabling environment for youth participation.
While there is a tendency for development programmes to narrowly focus on voter turnout among young people and preventing youth from engaging in violence, there is growing agreement that treating young people as troublemakers, objects of policies and beneficiaries of programmes will not lead to increased youth participation in elections nor bring about a transformative change in societies.

This is backed by lessons learned from the UN’s support to youth political participation and civic engagement, as it highlights the importance of partnering with key community actors and local youth organizations, movements and networks as well as engaging a diversity of young people in multiple capacities to strengthen the ability of programmes to amplify youth voices and rights.
Furthermore, research of development programmes finds that initiatives that recognize young people’s positive role and take a more comprehensive, longer-term community-based development approach can be more effective in addressing drivers of conflict.

In addition, a focus on inclusive electoral processes can give voice to people from marginalized groups.

In relation to electoral violence prevention strategies, a global study based on data between 2003 and 2015 finds that “…capacity-building strategies reduce violence by non-state actors, whereas attitude-transforming strategies are associated with a reduction in violence by state actors and their allies,” which is further encouragement for development programmes involving youth to emphasize support for youth’s peace efforts rather than prevention of young people’s engagement in violence.
Existing guidance materials provide information for electoral stakeholders and development practitioners seeking to work with and for young people. The youth, peace and security programming handbook (UN and FBA, 2021) and the practice note on young people’s participation in peacebuilding (UN IANYD, 2016) seek to increase capacities to strengthen young people’s participation in peacebuilding throughout the programme cycle. Guidelines on youth political participation during the electoral process highlight the importance of investing in youth as agents of change and partnering with youth organizations, movements and networks, including for Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), and how youth political participation can contribute towards inclusive peace and security processes. Importantly and at the strategic level, the progress study on youth, peace and security introduces three mutually reinforcing strategies: invest in youth, include youth and partner with youth.

ELECTORAL-RELATED PROGRAMMES CAN:

The three mutually reinforcing, strategic approaches set forward in the independent progress study on youth, peace and security

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.
As for progress on the implementation of the youth, peace and security agenda, the first report by the Secretary-General on youth, peace and security (2020) has two key findings:
  1. There is a growing recognition of young people’s essential role in peace and security, and in many instances governments, United Nations entities, civil society actors and others are stepping up to implement resolution 2250 (2015);
  2. and core challenges remain, including structural barriers limiting the participation of young people and their capacity to influence decision-making; violations of their human rights; and insufficient investment in facilitating their inclusion and empowerment.
The second report by the Secretary-General on youth, peace and security (2022) notes the unprecedented challenges owing to multiple crises:
  • the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, climate change, violence and armed conflict, and their compounded effects, and recognizes that the mobilization of young people for peace, social justice, climate action and equality remained unfaltering and critical to the peaceful development of societies even though the impact of the pandemic has reinforced barriers and created new challenges for their meaningful participation in peace and security processes.


There is a need to accelerate the implementation of policy frameworks relating to young people’s participation in peace and decision-making processes.
In addition, reports by the UN Secretary-General on electoral assistance highlight the need for all Member States to “consider ways to increase the participation of youth in decision-making and in electoral processes as candidates, voters, electoral officials, party agents and observers” and for political leaders and parties to “promote generational changes and consider internal party regulations that can help advance young leaders.”

The reports also note “the approach taken by some Member States to align the minimum age of eligibility to stand for elections with the minimum voting age is noted as being a possible path to greater participation.
PROMOTION OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN ELECTORAL PROCESSES:
EMBs can enhance youth participation during an election by supporting (1) an enabling environment for young people through legal frameworks, constitutions, lowering of the voting age and age of eligibility to run for office, and political party finance legislation; (2) youth empowerment through civic education, leveraging media and technology, taking advantage of educational institutions and using arts and creative activities; and (3) youth engagement through data collection, young staff in EMBs, registration and voting.

7

YOUTH-PARTICIPATORY APPROACHES TO PROGRAMMING
Youth-sensitive and youth-responsive programming entails approaches that support the meaningful participation of young people.
Support to the meaningful participation of a diversity of young people can improve the relevance, legitimacy, sustainability and impact of development and peace projects.
It is also an opportunity for national electoral stakeholders and international organizations to be accountable to young people, which is a large constituency in developing countries and territories, which often experience exclusion and multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination on the basis of age, gender and social factors. The promotion of inclusiveness is a principle for the United Nations efforts to prevent electoral-related violence and incorporates the involvement of underrepresented or marginalized groups.
The three-lens approach to youth participation brings a focus on working with and for youth for effective development by
  1. working for youth as beneficiaries (target groups),
  2. engaging with youth as partners (collaborators) and
  3. supporting youth as leaders (initiators).


These lenses are not mutually exclusive—electoral assistance can include different activities that involve working for youth as beneficiaries as well as supporting them as leaders. The nature of the work may also evolve over time. For instance, international development partners might collaborate with young people to set up a platform to monitor violence during elections. Over time, this platform may become self-sustainable and thereby, youth-led, and the support from the international development partners evolves from supporting the platform itself to have a focus solely on the enabling environment, such as opening avenues for the results of the youth-led monitoring to be considered in decision-making processes.

There are many forms and levels of youth participation: from informing young people about a matter, to empowering youth to take a final decision. Deliberative processes are a way of engaging citizens in policymaking, and youth deliberative participation can create space for intergenerational dialogue and for young people to have an influence upon decisions and conclusions relating to a set policy area. Furthermore, youth participation unfolds in both offline and online spaces and often by leveraging digital tools in combination with in-person activities. As will be elaborated below, online youth participation is integral to youth peace efforts during elections, but it comes with some specific opportunities and challenges.

Electoral assistance may want to consider the form, lens and level of participation that is the most relevant to the specific activity—and it will most likely include multiple levels—when deciding upon approaches to promote youth participation during elections.  

8

DIVERSE DEVELOPMENT SETTINGS
Different development settings and regime types impact national capacities to promote youth participation to sustain peace. This can also affect the development challenges that programmes need to mitigate and transform as the risk of electoral processes catalyzes into violence.
For instance, countries and territories undergoing a political transition process may be prone to experience violent conflict; consolidating democracies might experience greater difficulty in overcoming differences and fostering peaceful co-existence; so-called post-conflict societies can still be affected by conflict drivers and divisions, often making elections a critical turning point; and elections have high stakes in situations of referendums to ratify peace agreements or determine sovereignty. Analyses of patterns and trends in electoral violence have found that it is a phenomenon affecting mainly electoral authoritarian or hybrid states, particularly in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
  • Statistical data indicates some regional trends in youth political participation and civic engagement. In Africa, there are generational and governance gaps, and according to a 2016 survey by the Africa Barometer, young people are relatively less likely to participate in political and civic activities than other population groups.
  • At the same time, youth-led social movements are pushing for change and promoting peacebuilding across the continent.
  • According to the Arab Barometer, young people show relatively limited interest in political participation compared to older generations, express mistrust in governance institutions and tend to be more interested in informal processes. While young people tend to participate more through social movements and civic initiatives, civic actions have not always led to more influence on politics.
  • In Asia-Pacific, according to a study conducted by the United Nations in 2015, distrust in political processes remains a barrier to youth participation.
  • In the Western Balkans, according to a 2021 study by the United Nations and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office, young people indicate relative low satisfaction with their governance systems and institutions, and 19.5 percent of young people report being civically engaged, while over 65 percent are interested in being more active.
  • In Latin America, younger and older people do not differ much in their assessment of the state of public affairs, with the exception of politics, where young people are more likely to be dissatisfied, according to a UNDP brief from 2021.

9

YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN LOCAL ELECTIONS
The local level is particularly important for youth participation during elections. However, in fragile contexts, electoral-related violence is often localized, and government power at the municipal level can be a driver of violence.
  • At the same time, community-level initiatives are promising means of enhancing youth-inclusive, participatory decision-making processes in fragile and conflict-affected societies.
  • The local level is also key to leaving no youth behind in sustainable development and reach a broader range of young people and foster more inclusive political processes to tackle the widespread mistrust by young people in governance institutions.
  • Support to youth councils and/or municipal youth committees can foster inclusion of youth perceptions, needs and aspirations about local issues relating to development and peace.
  • Young people’s participation is essential to effective local governance towards resilient, peaceful and inclusive societies. Yet, young people often face exclusion from local governance, and actions to address this include the strengthening of constitutional, legislative and policy frameworks for youth inclusion, the promotion of institutional change (including local governments, traditional structures and civil society) and advocacy for the linkages between global agendas and local governance.
  • This can entail support to youth social accountability initiatives, access to local peace and dispute mechanisms, youth participation in local electoral processes and establishment of local youth caucuses.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

Youth peace efforts during elections: the survey.

Young people’s perspectives, needs and aspirations in the context of elections and sustaining peace are often overlooked.

The SELECT youth participation workstream launched a youth survey to place the perspectives of young people from across the world at the core of the research in order to better
  1. understand youth engagement throughout the electoral process,
  2. describe characteristics of youth peace efforts and youth actions to prevent electoral-related violence and
  3. identify priority areas for young people’s increased access to capacity development and support.

Overall, 1006 young people responded to the youth survey, which was open between 6 and 31 July 2022.
Youth surveys and analyses have previously been conducted in relation to peace and security, political participation and civic space. While these bring relevant insights, there was a need to further understand and harvest the expertise and experiences of young people specifically on sustaining peace during elections.

The findings from the youth survey inform the recommendations and programmatic options set forward through the youth participation workstream of the SELECT project.
WHO WERE THE YOUNG RESPONENTS?
  • The young respondents live across 65 countries and territories with over half of the respondents hailing from Colombia (569) and many respondents from Nigeria and Kenya.
  • The majority of the respondents reside in urban areas and are educated (graduate or post-graduate).
  • More than half of the respondents identify as male (55 percent), but women were well represented (43 percent).
  • The majority of the young respondents were between 14 and 29 years old; Arab States and Latin America and the Caribbean were the regions having more younger youth (below 25 years of age) among the respondents, while there was a greater participation of older youth (between 25 and 35 years of age) from Africa.
  • The survey primarily reached ‘organized youth’ with more than half of the respondents identifying as members of an organization and one-third as members of a youth-led organization. Few of the respondents are affiliated with political parties (16 percent). The majority of the respondents have an understanding of the electoral process (laws, policies, systems of elections) in their country/territory.
  • The young respondents participate in elections, with 76 percent having voted in the last local or national election, 44 percent having participated in peace initiatives during elections and only 0.3 percent noting boycotting an election as a strategy to raise concerns.
KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE YOUTH SURVEY
Young people and their organizations, movements and networks are agents of change for peace during the electoral process. Just under half (44 percent) of the respondents have founded or started peace initiatives during the electoral process in their community, and half of these were youth-led initiatives. Youth peace initiatives take many forms.

Respondents reported the most prominent ways of contributing to sustaining peace and preventing violence including:
  • Awareness-raising and access to information about elections including to mobilize youth;
  • Youth-led peacebuilding and conflict prevention including peace walks and fostering a culture of peace through creative approaches and sports;
  • Advocacy and campaigning including peace messaging through social media campaigns and radio programmes.

Furthermore, several respondents mentioned providing access to training, capacity development and education on peace, electoral laws, democratic values and conflict resolution skills as well as facilitating dialogue in relation to accountability platforms, multi-stakeholder dialogues and civic forums.
While young people consider violence as a hindrance to youth participation during elections, young people themselves take actions to respond to violence. One-quarter of the young respondents had taken action to address violence. Many of these actions relate to awareness-raising including access to information, advocacy, campaigns and trainings about peaceful co-existence, acceptance of diverging points of view, human rights, and the individual and societal consequences of violence.

Youth-led peacebuilding and conflict prevention activities, including the creation of spaces for dialogue, were also common youth efforts. Furthermore, young people took action through political participation, oversight, violence monitoring and analysis, countering hate speech and misinformation, and taking protective measures.

Young people respond to violence as individuals raising awareness in communities and on social media; through NGOs, student associations and youth movements to promote a culture for peacemaking through the use of the arts and sports or by creating spaces for dialogue and bringing together people of diverging opinions; and lastly as part of—or in partnership with—formal institutions such as EMBs.
When asked which actions they had taken, voting in the last election (76 percent) was the primary selection by the young respondents. Few of the respondents are affiliated with political parties, and the respondents tend to take action through civic engagement and advocacy rather than running for office or joining a political party or its youth wing.

While respondents rarely noted formal participation in politics among the primary ways of sustaining peace during elections, the responses relating to priority areas for support highlighted youth-friendly policies, representation in governance institutions and youth engagement mechanisms. Several respondents highlight youth councils and other youth structures, which indicates the importance of considering youth engagement mechanisms through electoral programmes involving youth.
Gender equality and young women’s leadership is a priority for the young respondents. When asked about priorities for support in this regard, more than half of the respondents highlight raising awareness of gender stereotypes and social norms and making resources and support accessible for youth initiatives and women-led organizations as well as supporting the participation of young women in women’s groups, social movements and CSOs.

While fewer respondents indicated legislative and policy aspects, still more than one-third of them highlight the importance of quotas and gender-sensitive policies and laws.
Young people are using a variety of information sources on electoral processes with social media standing out among the respondents. One-quarter of the respondents are from rural areas, which could influence information sources since low connectivity tends to be more prominent in rural areas, but no urban-rural divide in the use of information sources is observed for this survey.

This may be explained by the data collection through an online survey and subsequently, the target group being young people with Internet access. Awareness-raising and the provision of access to information about elections, peace and the prevention of electoral-related violence are among the main areas of youth efforts to sustain peace and prevent violence observed in the survey. The use of online platforms for electoral-related awareness by the young respondents varies across regions.
Programmes run by EMBs on peace and youth participation is not a main form of engagement for young people. Only 18 percent of the respondents report being aware of or having participated in such a programme. Activities highlighted by the respondents include election observation, training workshops, courses on electoral-related violence and sustaining peace, dialogues with contesting politicians, election monitoring and digital campaigns on non-violence.
Overall, 17 percent of the respondents indicate having worked with EMBs to observe elections, and specifically for Africa, 30 percent of the respondents report having done this activity.

“Provide the independent election management bodies with a mechanism for promoting peace during the election period. A citizen peacekeeping brigade. Support the initiatives of CSOs working for the promotion of peace and the involvement of young people.” Young respondent, SELECT youth survey, July 2022.
Youth Priority for support
When asked about the top-three concrete and actionable priorities required to increase youth participation to promote peace during electoral processes, many of the young respondents mention “give youth a chance,” “listen to young people,” “trust young people” and “let young people participate.”
Evidently, many young people face barriers to their participation and articulate a feeling of not being perceived as belonging in contexts of elections. Access to information and influence on decisions are characteristics of quality stakeholder engagement, and the responses from young people to the SELECT youth survey indicate barriers to quality youth engagement to sustain peace during elections.

Respondents indicate the top-three opportunities to strengthen youth engagement during elections are:
  1. Imparting education and awareness;
  2. Increasing youth representation;
  3. Introducing youth-friendly election laws and regulations.
Furthermore, increased support to CSOs, the promotion of civic space, and employment and job programmes were also a high priority, while peace committees, early warning mechanisms and addressing hate speech and online violence were somewhat priorities.

Young respondents were also asked about their three priorities for support and access to resources and capacity development to sustain peace during elections.

The majority of the priorities centred on the overarching themes of political participation, capacity development, peacebuilding and conflict prevention, and information integrity.
and support in this regard was articulated by young people as concerning youth-participatory decision-making processes such as youth engagement mechanisms, the development and implementation of policy and legal frameworks, and opening avenues for young people and their organizations to participate in decision-making processes, including at the local level and in relation to municipal development plans.

Specifically for young women’s participation and leadership, participants noted the need for dedicated efforts and ascertaining that the voices of young women were heard throughout the electoral process. Parliamentary support and political parties were mentioned in relation to youth representation in politics and the commitment of political actors to the prevention of electoral-related violence.

A young respondent articulated a priority thusly: “That young people be included more in local development plans because only in this way will young people be interested in exercising the right and duty to vote since they will feel included [and] taken into account for the development of our country.” Young respondent, SELECT youth survey, July 2022.
was highlighted by young respondents as a need for access to training, capacity development, education, and mental health and psychosocial support. This included introducing peace education and education on electoral processes in educational institutions as well as the availability of non-formal civic and voter education and training on youth leadership, conflict resolution, behavioural psychology and peacebuilding.

Several respondents also indicated a need for greater access to financing of young people’s participation in elections, including for young people to run for office and to support the work of youth councils and youth peace efforts. In this regard, sustainability of financing and access for grassroots organizations were mentioned by some participants.
were emphasized by young people in relation to increasing support for peacebuilding initiatives and promoting dialogues and building trust, including through intergenerational dialogues and participatory dialogue spaces for young people to connect and promote non-violence and coexistence.
Youth economic empowerment was mentioned by some respondents as a way of creating opportunities for youth to have the means to engage in peacebuilding and reduce violence. Some respondents also noted fostering a culture of peace through support to initiatives relating to creative arts, sports and peace walks
was a priority for young respondents foremost in terms of access to information and awareness-raising such as digital campaigns to increase knowledge among youth of electoral processes and sensitizing young people about the importance of peace. Countering hate speech and misinformation was also indicated as a priority, though to a lesser extent, and included tackling misinformation and online violence and providing support to young people countering hate speech online.

While to a lesser extent, the young respondents also shared priorities relating to support for youth-led campaigns and youth organizations, movements and networks as well as the protection of young people participating during electoral processes. Several respondents also noted the need for support through advocacy for the recognition of young people as positive agents of change for peace during elections.

THEMATIC PRIORITIES AREAS

All people have the right to participate in public affairs and all States are called upon to “promote and ensure the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for youth….” The United Nations is committed to supporting diverse and inclusive participation of young people among other specific population groups and is working to promote inclusive participation channels. Fostering a safe, gender-responsive and enabling environment is also a critical aspect of promoting youth participation in matters relating to peace and security.


This section introduces a range of areas that could be considered for the promotion of youth participation to sustain peace during elections. The areas were identified on the basis of the consultative process for the youth participation workstream of the Sustaining Peace during Electoral Processes (SELECT) project and are by no means exhaustive.

1

Inclusive processes and dialogues for peace

2

Partnerships with youth organizations, movements and networks

3

Financing youth-led peace efforts

4

Leveraging digital technology to amplify youth voices

5

Early warning and violence monitoring: Young people’s local know-how

6

Youth as electoral observers

7

Protection of young people defending democratic governance and advocating for peace

8

Bringing peace and digital literacy into civic and voter education

9

The role of youth political parties in prevention

10

Parliamentary support for youth-inclusive electoral processes

11

Youth-led information integrity initiatives

12

Promoting young women’s participation

13

Preventing violence against vulnerable youth in elections

14

The invisible youth

15

An intersectional lens to youth participation

CONSIDERATIONS & RECOMMANDATIONS

The consultations, youth survey and research conducted through the SELECT youth participation workstream have identified opportunities and challenges for electoral-related programming involving youth including programmatic entry points for the promotion of youth participation to sustain peace during elections.

Among the findings was the importance of working with young people throughout the programming cycle—from the design phase to the implementation and evaluation phases—as well as throughout the electoral cycle because young people play a key role in the prevention of violence and conflict, sustaining the conducive environment for peaceful elections and the bridging of potential divides in the pre- and post-electoral periods.

Applying an integrated approach to the prevention of electoral-related violence through the creation of synergies between programmes on elections, youth empowerment, inclusive governance and peacebuilding deserves consideration.

Electoral-related programmes can promote youth participation at different levels and degrees. For instance, some programmes may adopt a youth-inclusive approach, which relates to young people having the right to engage throughout the programme cycle whereby their perspectives are taken into account. Other programmes may adopt a youth-sensitive approach, meaning that initiatives respond to, and are based on, the realities, needs and aspirations of young people.

Quality assessments and analyses provide the starting point for programming to effectively promote youth participation. Therefore, increased attention may be given to conducting youth-inclusive and youth-sensitive needs assessments and conflict analysis to inform programming relating to electoral violence prevention with the aim of understanding the lived experiences of young people, the challenges they face and the opportunities for peace they identify, while considering youth in its diversity.

These assessments may form part of a larger assessment and/or analysis or may be specifically conducted to inform inclusive programming around elections.

The following recommendations are suggested as entry points for strengthening the capacity of electoral-related programmes to work with and for young people.

The recommendations are structured around a slightly modified version of the three mutually reinforcing strategies set forward by the independent progress study on youth, peace and security.

Include the diversity of young people by addressing structural barriers and fostering an enabling environment for youth participation.

and at various levels, from local elections to parliamentary and senatorial to presidential elections. Furthermore, consider the role of young people in the post-electoral period, including in post-electoral ‘healing’ to foster acceptance of the results by youth and as potential newly elected representatives in parliament. Support youth participation during peace and transition processes, including as mediators.
in electoral-related programmes to promote a safe environment for youth participation to sustain peace.
nd address power dynamics, as well as gender stereotypes through awareness-raising and education activities and introduce mechanisms to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

into civic and voter education, considering both formal and non-formal education incorporating the political, civic, cultural and socioeconomic issues affecting the situation of youth.

  • Support the design and development of youth-friendly digital literacy, peace, civic and voter education materials, with a focus on accessibility and relevance to young people. The materials can be co-created with—or developed fully under the leadership of—young people.
to increase the capacities of public officials, political leadership and electoral institutions to work meaningfully with young people to sustain peace during elections, including at the local level.

to address all forms of violence—and particularly gender-based violence—during the electoral cycle. This entails understanding the varying and intersecting identities of young people and how stigma, discrimination and violence may be experienced as a result of this.

in building and sustaining peace during elections, including by tackling gendered social norms and negative stereotypes relating to age, and support youth leadership on peace and elections through campaigns. Engaging the media is key.
to better understand young people’s experience of peace and violence and as a way of amending the exclusion of young people from formal electoral and political processes as well as the limited availability of gender and age-disaggregated data.
and post-electoral lessons-learned exercises to further strengthen the evidence base for electoral-related programmes and their impact when involving youth

Invest in youth peace efforts during elections

For example, young people serve as observers of elections, candidates (including young women candidates), educators on peace and electoral rights, voters, electoral officials, monitors of violence as well as agents of change in building and sustaining peace.

Electoral-related programmes may support youth-driven efforts in communities by:

  • Supporting youth organizations, movements and networks in communities including on activities relating to dialogue for peace, civic education, youth-led thematic campaigns and monitoring of violence;
  • Investing in youth activities through peer-to-peer approaches that can mobilize young people for non-violence during elections and raise awareness of the electoral processes because young people have particular know-how regarding their communities and are often well placed to communicate with other youth;
  • Investing in young women-led initiatives during elections given the specific challenges that young women face, alongside the vital role they play in societies;
  • Supporting young people in crafting their own solutions to concerns relating to elections or violence. Such an approach may empower young people and cultivate a feeling of inclusion and belonging, making governance-related work relevant to the youth;
  • Supporting youth efforts in the digital sphere relating to peace messaging and raising awareness of electoral processes, taking advantage of how many young people easily navigate digital technologies, while being mindful of the digital divide.

Partner with youth organizations, movements and networks

and meaningful engagement of a diversity of young people, including by using relevant principles and strategies
to enhance the opportunities for public officials, electoral stakeholders and development practitioners to meaningfully listen to and engage with young people to enable young people’s agency
and partnerships between the EMBs and youth organizations, movements and networks on activities relating to youth participation and the prevention of electoral-related violence.
peace and security as a way of strengthening capacities and networks to support youth participation to sustain peace during elections. This relates to matters across sectors and not only social issues.

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EXECUTIVE 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.

'recognizing young people’s positive role'

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.

'youth empowerment, inclusive governance and peacebuilding'

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..
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