Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance

With the evolution of mankind and state functions, ‘Democracy’ has emerged as the most successful form of governance. Over the years, democracies across the world have been undergoing rapid transformations. This transpiring phase is greatly influenced by digitization and technology, rising public voices against persistent inequalities, demographic shifts, changing geopolitical equations, and the aftermaths of the COVID-19 pandemic, amongst many other factors. The participation of youth in institutional and formal political processes is comparatively low when compared to aged citizens across the globe. Young men and women feel alienated and marginalised in their communities and societies as a result of having few opportunities and exposure to actively participate in inclusive decision-making processes. 

The new paradigm of good governance and effective democracy is participative governance wherein citizens are becoming a part of the democratic decision-making processes. Social media is disrupting the long-settled norms and practices in the functioning of democracies. The infusion of technology in governance and its widening access to the common man has democratised the systems unprecedentedly. It is high time to build a global consensus on this extremely timely issue to shape our own inheritance.