Half of the world’s population is under 30, but they have little say over the decisions that shape their future. Statistics show that the world’s young people are increasingly disengaged from political life: they’re voting less, rejecting party membership, and telling researchers that their country’s leaders aren’t working in their interests.
But at the same time, young people remain engaged in civic life. They attend demonstrations, use the internet to make their voices heard, and are active outside the traditional political sphere, like in business, at school, and in civil society organisations. At a time when political rights and civil liberties are in decline, why are youth so dissatisfied with democracy? And how can civic and democratic leaders bring them back into the fold?