On May 8, 2024, the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a call for 2024 local elections, which will be held in October. In these elections, voters will decide who will represent them in municipal and city councils, municipal assemblies, mayors’ offices, and the Brčko District of BiH assembly. Youth participation is one of the perennially popular topics in the run-up to the elections. Do young people vote?
Youth are often criticized as passive, apolitical, and uninterested in election processes. However, statistics tell a different story. In the most recent general election, held in 2022, over 47% of young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina exercised their right to vote. Out of 18.4% of young candidates (7258 between the ages of 18 and 30), only 0.39% of young people won seats (28).
In the latest local elections, which were held in 2020, 51.44% of young people voted – that means that more than half of youth eligible to vote cast their ballots. In other words, one in two young people voted in the 2020 local elections. 7398 people aged from 18 to 30 ran in these elections, which means that 23.73% of the candidates were young people. In these elections, young people won 425 seats, with 423 of those in representative bodies (municipal and city councils, municipal assemblies). Voters in Banja Luka and Pelagićevo placed their trust in youth – two young politicians were elected as mayor and municipal mayor, respectively.
Official statistics plainly show that youth are not, nor have they ever been, passive bystanders in elections. Despite the fact that youth issues often languish at the bottom of political agendas and that voters seem reluctant to entrust young people with governance, youth play a major part in the election process.
To support young individuals who choose social action through political engagement and to support advocacy for youth issues, the Institute for Youth Development KULT is organizing the latest fifth iteration of our “Learn, Think, and Act!” training course for youth political leaders.
UMiD for Young Political Leaders (UMiDp) is the Institute’s program for young politicians from different political parties and different local communities. During this 15-day training, young politicians learn the skills they need to navigate the political landscape and advocate for the rights of young people. During the training, they are provided with theory and practice in building a political image that will be different, innovative, and relatable to their peers.
Four generations have already completed this training course – alumni now include over 60 participants from more than 35 local communities and more than 15 different political parties registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Applications for the fifth training course are open until Saturday, June 1, 2024, 12:00 pm. For more information, including registration, follow THIS link.
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