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Kirsten
Joined: Mar 8, 2007
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Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 12, 2007
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Recently there has been a lot of research conducted on how youth are not interesting in mainstream
politics and voting. Is this just a North American phenomenon or is it a worldwide situation? How
do you think we can get youth interested in voting again?
I recently read an article on my way to work in Toronto on the mock-elections that Ontario schools
do. Here under-age voters have the chance to learn about the parties and their platforms. The hope
is that by giving students a taste of politics, they'll become more engaged and interested enough to
cast real ballots when they turn 18. Do you think this is something that will work?
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Prince Charles Jiduwah
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 14, 2007
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This just does not happen in North America, it is becoming a problem in Africa as well.... Nigeria
in view. I guess the way out of this is to get the youth understand their role in their society.
That can be done through forums and workshops. I like the Mock Voting thing.
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Erick Ochieng Otieno
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 14, 2007
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kirstenjordan wrote:
Recently there has been a lot of research
conducted on how youth are not interesting in mainstream politics and voting. Is this just a North
American phenomenon or is it a worldwide situation? How do you think we can get youth interested in
voting again?
I recently read an article on my way to work in Toronto on the mock-elections that Ontario schools
do. Here under-age voters have the chance to learn about the parties and their platforms. The hope
is that by giving students a taste of politics, they'll become more engaged and interested enough to
cast real ballots when they turn 18. Do you think this is something that will work?
I thought it was only the Kenyan problem. That the youths do not vote in other places makes the
issue a global problem that needs to be addressed. For instance in Kenya, we are headed for the
General Election at the end of the year and everyone has been walking around urging the youth to
turn up in large numbers to excercise their rights to vote. Having said that, I will not be
supprised if at the end of the voting session, there is just a few percentage of youths who indeed
voted.
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Brigid
Joined: Oct 12, 2007
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 20, 2007
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In Australia once you turn 18 it's compulsory to vote so it's not a problem that we don't vote-just
that a lot of us don't understand who we're voting for or just don't care. It became compulsory last
year for australian schools to educate students on voting and the parliamentary system in a hope to
reduce this but the same youth that 'don't care' are still not taking their vote seriously. We need
to be making youth aware that their opinion does matter, accepting youth as a vital part of our
society -listening to them instead of the cliched 'children should be seen not heard' view that many
seem to still hold. I was involved in a ymca program called youth parliament this year in which we
got to write a bill and debate it in the parliamentary chambers so it really gives youth an insight
into what politicians do and gives youth a voice and a passion to have their say. most of us in the
program were under 18 and couldn't wait to be able to cast our vote some even debating to lower the
voting age so that it was optional for 16 and 17 year olds to be able to vote as well. I think
programs like this (mock voting and parliaments) and education would help to alleviate this problem
of youth not voting and not caring but sadly they'll always be a percentage (even in a compulsory
system) of youth that throw away their vote .
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muhammad kamal kamel
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 28, 2007
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it is a world widespread phenomun...here in my country EGYPT...no one care for the mainstream
politics......even the elder ones...because almost a great branch of society lost hope in affecting
their stance and have their freedom to choose......we have democracy but not all the time........and
sometimes the governmental forces like police....threats our freedom by capture anyone talks in
relgion in the field in politics......i'm not with that but what they are doing is so harnful and
make alot of the youth afraid................
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Ashley
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 29, 2007
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kirstenjordan wrote:
Recently there has been a lot of research conducted on
how youth are not interesting in mainstream politics and voting. Is this just a North American
phenomenon or is it a worldwide situation? How do you think we can get youth interested in voting
again?
I recently read an article on my way to work in Toronto on the mock-elections that Ontario schools
do. Here under-age voters have the chance to learn about the parties and their platforms. The hope
is that by giving students a taste of politics, they'll become more engaged and interested enough to
cast real ballots when they turn 18. Do you think this is something that will work?
My social studies class in Alberta did something similar to this. I think we even had students
volunteer to "represent" the individual parties and give a speech in support of why to
vote for them. It was a great project - I remember it being very exciting and heated, people were
really involved and interested.
I think it is a great idea because if anything it gets youth thinking about their right to vote.
I'm not sure if it would have an impact on "future" voter turn out though... but hopefully
it gets a couple of more people interested and out there.
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palymc
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Jan 15, 2008
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i think this is an important issue . and i think youth ppl should be part of the political process
because they are part of the community . youth will be the leaders of the community after few years
. i think that the youth began to realize this thing forexample in the american primary election.
all media and observers are surprised because of the activity of american youth in this elections
specially Mr. Obama 's campaign.
in our area youth also share and work in the political fields . we have many youths parties and
groups who work to reach their views and opinions to the ppl
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Kelli
Joined: Apr 17, 2008
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Apr 19, 2008
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i think if we teach high school kids about politics and have discussions at school about what is
happening in politics Today, they will become aware and more interested in whats going on, and WANT
to have a say in it. that way they'll be more involved in politics when they're old enough to
vote.
This post was edited on: 2008-04-19 at 04:31 PM by: Kell4424
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zinny
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Jun 30, 2008
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I strongly believe it is the right aproach because, our youth are our future. They have to be well
informed right from school and taught the basic principles of how to go about it. Politics is not
some thing you can jump into. you have to be exposed to the rudiments of politics from the early
age.
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Michael
Joined: Jun 20, 2008
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Country: Zimbabwe
Province/State: Mashonaland East
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Jul 10, 2008
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Well i think the mock thing is actually a brilliant idea that prepares the young stars for
participation in the democratisation process of their country.
In Zimbabwe there is a puzzling trend.You will remember that we went into an election on March 29
which was won by Morgan Tsvangirayi and then proceeded to a run off election on June 27 in which
Robert Mugabe's militia ran over the Zimbabwean population and this resulted in Morgan Tsvangirayi
withdrawing.What is puzzling is that the percentage of youths who voted was disappointingly low yet
the youth where in the fore front of terrorising the populace.
Politicians use youths to do their dirty work.These same politicians have disempowered the youths by
mismanaging the economy and this has resulted in job losses.The youth therefore are victims of the
policies of egocentric politicians.Because they are not beneffiting anything they see no reason why
they should go and vote for someone so that that individual benefits at their exspense.Unless and
until there is marked improvement in the concietisation of the youths about why it is important for
them to participate in the democritisation process of Zimbabwe they will not.
We will continue to endure beatings, harrasment and torture at the hands of ZANU PF militia which
unfortunately the government has done a good job in making sure they are well indoctrinated .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Michael Mabwe
Coordinator
Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights
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Annpreet M
Joined: Mar 21, 2007
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Sep 6, 2008
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Youth these days are not interested in Politics. At my school in Toronto we had mock elections, and
many students did not just care. There mindset is im not old i don't have to care, this "stupidness"
does not bother me. Don't get me wrong this isn't all of them but the vast majority of youth. They
are more intuned with the fashion and media and feel that politics does not play a role in their
lives.
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Michael G.
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 3, 2008
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A lot of my friends have actually gotten interested in the US Presidential Elections this year just
because they're so historic (first African American, first woman...)
And I've always been involved in politics =D Over the summer I volunteered with the Obama
campaign.
I don't think you can force it, though. There are some people who just like it, and if you don't
like participating in politics, you're not going to be able to make them. For many people, the
government isn't actively involved in their lives.
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Dee
Joined: Sep 29, 2008
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 3, 2008
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I think the main reason that the youth are getting involved in politics is the fact that we are all
growing up. These issues we hear about become real as time goes by.
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Hafiidhaturrahmah
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 4, 2008
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i agree to engaging youth in politics so they can learn more about this.
but...I disagree if youth just became chess point of politic to win something.
so---let's choose the best political engagement.
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Ute
Joined: Sep 11, 2008
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Re: Engaging youth in Politics
Oct 24, 2008
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Well -its kind of hard to be interested in voting when the electoral process is a big joke - in my
country's chaotic 2007 Dec elections after all the violence and killing a commission was set up (in
June 2008) and they said they were unable to determine the winner of the election becoz there was
rigging by both candidates!!
So in the end, does your vote REALLY count?
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