Identifying the needs of the youth community and formulating solutions for support in decision-making processes

Cristina Stan

Needs of young people – mature point of view

Needs of young people from their point of view

INFORMATION = POWER

Young people should know:

• What politics involves;• How the voting process works;• What the views are of young people from the other community;• How we can communicate our views;• That politics doesn’t have to be boring;• We all have rights and what we think does matter; and• The responsibility to engage is a two way process between

politicians and young people.

Solutions

Solutions councils have adopted to create an environment where young people can become engaged in democracy include:

• Establishing youth forums and councils;

• Consultations with groups of young people, along with youth conferences;

• Peer based research techniques such as training young people in a range of research skills and using them to conduct research to determine young people’s views on their area.

Making politics more interesting

- Making it easier to understand and more accessible;

- Making politicians more responsive to the needs and concerns of young people;

- Finding new opportunities and routes for young people to enter the political process.

Recommendations:

1. More education for young people on politics, elections and voting through various mediums such as schools and youth groups.

2. The Electoral Commission to engage in a programme for schools providing information workshops.