Youth Participation

Empowering young people to participate and lead is essential to the democratic health of all societies. IRI equips young people around the world with the skills and networks to engage in civic and political processes.

IRI’s approach prioritizes meaningful youth engagement and provides young people with opportunities to learn new skills and build networking opportunities. IRI’s Sahel program uses a variety of approaches to support young people in the region, from helping young peacebuilders and entrepreneurs in Mali to working with Mauritanian youth on media literacy and advocacy skills ahead of the last election.

IRI’s approach provides young people with opportunities for engagement and helps young people learn new skills and build networking opportunities so that they can become effective advocates for democracy. IRI also promotes young people’s participation in decision-making. Through networks like Generation Democracy and the Leaders Advancing Democracy Program (LEAD) program, IRI has connected young leaders with peers and partners to collaborate, get access to tools and resources, and to provide opportunities to put their skills into action.

Positive Youth Development (PYD)

Through youth-led leadership groups like Generation Democracy (GenDem) and the European Youth Democracy Network (EDYN), IRI helps young people contribute to their nation’s development by empowering them to identify and address the issues of greatest concern to their age group.

Promoting Political and Civic Participation

IRI supports young leaders through investments in civic and political engagement, ensuring that young people play a role in protecting democratic governance and have access to peaceful ways to express their insights and concerns.

Network Building

Generation Democracy – IRI’s flagship youth network – consists of over 325 young leaders from across 81 countries, dedicated to promoting civic and political participation and exposing their colleagues to innovative approaches and ideas.

Generation Democracy members have access to subaward funding, opportunities to serve as elected officials on the group’s board, and ways to participate in global panels to share their expertise. Recognizing that youth-led programming works best when it is buttressed by preparation and support, Generation Democracy provides learning in virtual training sessions and Global Summits that bring members together to share best practices and lessons learned.

In Europe, IRI’s EDYN program has worked to advance young people’s role in revitalizing democracy, rights, and governance through networks that foster meaningful connections across ideologies and borders. This coalition of more than 300 young leaders from 22 countries in Central and Eastern Europe makes an impact through cross-border networking, best practice exchanges, projects supported by IRI, and individually tailored professional development. 

Similarly, ALPI encourages emerging political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia to realize the benefits of working across parties while equipping them with the political skills they need to advocate for greater youth participation and representation in politics. To replicate ALPI’s success in other countries, IRI has created a toolkit so interested parties can apply best practices that have prepared ALPI members to overcome barriers to youth political participation.

Cross-sectoral Engagement

IRI provides opportunities for young people to engage across sectors, with partners ranging from universities to media firms to business leaders. Through the McCain Fellowship for Freedom (MFF), IRI brings together a global cohort of rising political and public leaders who are committed to political and economic freedom.

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