“The full political participation of women and youth is key to a healthy democracy. A representative government cannot just mean representation for older men, who have traditionally dominated political leadership, but must include and address the priorities of all citizens. Political systems that shut out participation by women and youth not only fail to live up to democratic principles; they deny themselves the opportunity to benefit from an enormous wellspring of talent and innovation. And with the youngest population of any European country, youth participation is particularly crucial to shoring up Kosovo’s democratic future. For these reasons, IRI is proud to support the political empowerment of women and youth in Kosovo and around the world, through country-specific and regional programs as well as global initiatives like our Women’s Democracy Network and Generation Democracy.” – IRI President Dan Twining on #Kosovo