Students for Global Democracy Uganda (SGD) Positive Outcome Story: Promoting Youth Engagement in Meaningful Democratic Processes

The problem that was addressed is a deliberate structured system that has excluded youth from meaningful democratic governance participation and relegated them to the marginal periphery.  Young people in Uganda are less likely to participate in an election, if they feel they lack adequate knowledge about the voting process or policies and positions of candidates, or the connection between issues they care about and voting. The high corruption rate in Uganda has contributed to dismal public service and limits educational as well as employment opportunities for youth, yet our young people have limited knowledge and skills to track the quality of public service and monitor budget expenditure at community level. Worse still, girls and women continue to face bottlenecks in their pursuit of the right to participate in democratic processes. These challenges have contributed to the waning of meaningful youth political participation over the years.

Students for Global Democracy Uganda tackled the issue by launching several initiatives that promoted youth engagement in meaningful electoral processes and providing platforms for youth advocacy, information sharing and seeking public-social accountability from their leaders. One project emphasized the gender-sensitive agenda and prioritized female youth participation. SGD Uganda organized Voter Education Seminars, Student Mock Parliaments, Citizens’ Accountability Platforms and Physical and Cyber Security Training for Students that promote youth participation in socio-economic and political processes. As a way of curbing the rampant corruption rate in the country, SGD Uganda engaged young people, principally the student community in activities that raise their awareness on their roles and responsibilities in demanding accountability and instill a sense of civic responsibility. Under student mock parliaments, students discussed public policy matters, especially those that impact youth, and brainstormed opportunities to influence political processes in a manner that catalyzes the youth voice.

The above-mentioned parliaments deepened the participants’ understanding of the cause and impact of corruption, and they will be complemented by the launch of a sustainable network called “Student Voices against Corruption”, which brings together students to regularly dialogue and develop strategies and action plans for mobilizing them to speak against corruption. The Citizens Accountability Platforms enlightened citizens’ roles and responsibilities in demanding for accountability and instilled in them a sense of civic responsibility. As of now, there is an increased number of vibrant, democratically enlightened and self-aware citizen advocates for public accountability. Voter Education Seminars have been able to create an increased number of democratically enlightened and self-aware future youth voters, and youthful potentioal leaders. The Physical and Cyber Security training activity which reached out to 256 student in underserved communities on a whole, enhanced the knowledge, capacity and skills of student to understand the concepts of human rights, safety and security and how best to react to attacks in course of their work of promoting and striving for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms.