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Youth and the Fight for Democracy in the Year of Elections

Luis V. Villaherrera is an expert on democracy, AI, elections, and international development, he is the first Obama Scholar from the region and one of the finalists for the Kofi Annan Democracy Prize. His opinions have been published and quoted in Global Americans, and America Quarterly, among others; furthermore, he has been invited to Pod Save the World and Global Minnesota to share his work. In 2017 he co-founded TRACODA, which stands for transparency, social control, and open data, to create innovative projects that focus on technological tools and capacity-building to combat corruption and foster democracy and elections.

He launched an open platform app to track governmental data to find possible cases of corruption, which had more than 500,000 visits before the government banned it. Luis is the founder of The Center for Democratic Strengthening, another initiative in the eastern of El Salvador. Luis’s developed boot camps on democracy, civic participation, and disinformation, have engaged more than 10,000 young people. Luis has developed projects that are helping journalists, think tanks and researchers on an international level enhance governmental accountability. 


Mobilising young people at the ballot box

Democracy is declining worldwide. It is frightening to begin with that statement on democracy day. However, this is the reality we are facing: from “cool dictators”, “Trump of the tropics,” to “bitcoin bros” ruling nations, democracy is being questioned and replaced by a “faux democracy” potentiating hate speech, mis/disinformation, and amplifying a damaging message to generations. 

During the last couple of years, the dictator handbook has been the go-to reference for many leaders— from Trump, and Bukele to Orbán, and Putin— all displaying a “new way” of governance that is reduced to a dictatorship or autocracy. On International Democracy Day, young people can demonstrate that despite challenges, democracy continues to be best model of governance. 

Ensuring democracy works for all citizens is a difficult task. So I urge caution with new candidates who show a “new way” to rule. They often start spreading the “them vs. us” narrative, redrawing political lines to consolidate power, using the machinery of dis-“information” to boost propaganda and sell a dual reality. Platforms with huge youth audiences such as X and TikTok have amplified hate speech, tapping into people’s outrage to solidify power and clench the fist of authoritarianism. 

Is youth politically active and ready to defend democracy? A complex question and at the same time an easy one: Yes and no. 

The main objective of this piece is not to bore readers with data but to show that not everything is black or white, and certainly, democracy is not lost. Consider electoral participation: in many African countries, youth is the largest demographic, yet their numbers are not reflected when it comes to political participation. In 2019, 54% of registered voters in Malawi were young people, yet ballot turnout was low at only 60% compared to 85% for their elders. This apathy is caused by false promises and the disheartened status quo, and further exacerbates the disengagement of young people in traditional politics in a vicious cycle.

For many years, and still today, youth have been used as pawns in the political landscape, leading to rising frustration and scepticism toward political parties, intensified by neglected promises. Nevertheless, even with a disheartened trust in politicians, youth represent hope. We have seen young people challenging reproductive rights repression, tackling far-right nationalism, and fighting corrupt governments in Guatemala in a kind of “Central America colour revolution”. These are just a few examples of how young people have been involved  and are keeping the democratic flame ignited. 

We can say that tides are changing, or at least there is a wave of hope for creating the world as it should be, rather than accepting the world as it is. Youth participation in non-traditional activism has indeed increased during the last couple of years. This article is not just about the urgent need to show up, mobilise, and vote; it’s about the crucial necessity to organise and take action beyond elections, with technology playing a vital part in moving forward.

Our chance? 

Youth have always been central players in moments of crisis, there is no doubt about it. The 1968 protests in France, the Arab Spring, and the end of the Cold War are some examples of youth pushing for social change without using the technological tools we currently have at our disposal. In today’s world, technology is embedded within democracy, providing us a place to raise our voices and demand rights as democracy faces its own moment of crisis. Now with TikTok, YouTube, and X, we need to maximise these resources, delivering the message that democracy matters, and therefore fostering a sense of community among young activists from around the world. 

We are already observing how these platforms can be used to defend democracy responsibly. In Australia, the Labor Party used TikTok to target young voters and mobilise them to vote, while maintaining a civic political discourse. Young people can also use these platforms to shape or at least influence decision-making, challenging high-level decisions and injustices. One clear example is how George Floyd’s video went viral on social media and people started to organise and protest, relaunching a national debate and the fight for civil rights through social media.  

There is a downside to these resources. Authoritarian governments have learned to use technology for surveillance, internet shutdowns, online censorship, and to enforce strict regulations to restrict citizen’s freedom of expression. The time has come to stand up against hate speech and not accept what it is but what we want as a shared future for the digital space. Youth have the numbers to challenge these trends and use their voices in decision-making. We need to find a common voice and spread it in unison, starting by taking place at the “grown-up” table and by asking the uncomfortable questions, shaking the status quo and changing our shared destiny. 

To attend the session on youth and elections, register for the event here: