{"id":9476,"date":"2024-11-30T19:00:34","date_gmt":"2024-11-30T19:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/?post_type=storiesprojects&p=9476"},"modified":"2025-11-20T16:56:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T16:56:43","slug":"epoch-i-1980-2000-setting-the-scene","status":"publish","type":"storiesprojects","link":"https:\/\/youthdemocracycohort.com\/fr\/stories\/epoch-i-1980-2000-setting-the-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"Epoch I 1980-2000: Setting the Scene"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This content is inspired by The Youth Political Participation Literature and Policy review 1980-2023 – Epoch I Setting the Scene<\/em><\/strong>– as outlined in the Youth Democracy Cohort’s scoping study on youth political participation. The study presents a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of youth-related policies and practices from 1980 to 2023. It is based on a literature and policy review, examining youth involvement in political affairs, electoral participation, and civil society engagement within democratic contexts. The findings are framed within four distinct epochs, offering insights for policymakers and programme designers aiming to foster youth-inclusive democratic practices. While the content draws on these findings, it does not represent a verbatim excerpt or official position of the Youth Democracy Cohort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This epoch is characterised by exploring children, minors, and youth<\/strong> as a specific group that should be of attention to policymakers. This has to do with the general trends of widening suffrage<\/strong>, exercising inclusion<\/strong> as one of the core democratic values, and protecting the rights of minorities<\/strong> and sub-groups of given populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global Trends and Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is apparent that these trends are inherently linked to democratic countries at a certain level of development, i.e. mostly to the countries of the Global North<\/strong>, but manifested globally as well (e.g. via the UN<\/strong>). The exploration of youth and children as specific groups is completed ad-hoc and connects to various topics such as youth work<\/strong>, education<\/strong>, and democratic participation<\/strong>. These topics will be considered core youth policymaking domains until the beginning of Epoch IV when mainstreaming and cross-sectoral approaches<\/strong> truly gain momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defining Youth Rights<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Young people and children are first defined by elaborating on their rights<\/strong> in concrete contexts (e.g. the UN<\/strong>, EU<\/strong>, etc.). At the UN level, this is typified by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n