Driving Democracy Forward: Insights from the 2024 ...

The 2024 Generation Democracy Global Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, brought together over 62 young leaders, experts, activists, and policymakers from 31 countries. Organized by IRI and Generation Democracy's Global Member Advisory Board, the event served as a vital platform for addressing key challenges facing democracies.

The Summit agenda highlighted the critical role of youth in safeguarding electoral integrity and civil society in places like Belarus, Georgia, and Venezuela. Climate change was framed as a political issue, with youth advocacy driving sustainable policies. Discussions on countering authoritarian influence, including insights from IRI and Johns Hopkins research, stressed the need for media literacy and international collaboration to protect democratic values. Summit discussions emphasized CivicTech's role in empowering youth to enhance civic engagement and government accountability, with the Minister of Digital Transformation of North Macedonia, Stefan Andonovski, highlighting its transformative potential in a virtual keynote.

Lithuanian Members of Parlaiment Monika Ošmianskienė and Tomas Vytautas Raskevičius speak on a panel with GenDem members from the Republic of Kosovo and Mexico.

Youth as Key to Democratic Resiliency

A core theme of the Summit was empowering young leaders with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to drive democratic change. The Summit's panels featured young leaders alongside members of Parliament, civil society leaders, and international experts, positioning youth as key voices in spearheading innovative solutions to global issues.

Keynote speakers emphasized youth leaders' crucial role in shaping democracy's future. President Vjosa Osmani of the Republic of Kosovo shared her experiences navigating governance in a post-conflict region, stressing the resilience required to sustain democracy. Abby Finkenauer, U.S. Special Envoy for Youth, highlighted the importance of youth in political decision-making, while Lithuania's Minister Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė pointed to education and youth empowerment as foundational to resilient democracies.

The Summit included participatory workshops to equip attendees with practical tools. Apolitical Foundation's session on democratic innovation explored new approaches to civic engagement and policymaking, while the Civic Resistance Initiative (CRI) focused on skills to combat misinformation. InterAction's Mitch McQuate offered strategies for engaging media effectively. Through these and other practicums, participants gained actionable insights to enhance democratic governance, reinforcing the summit's commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders.

Security and the Role of Youth

The Summit underscored the vital role of young leaders in fostering global stability and European security. Estonia's Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stressed the urgency of youth's active participation in democracy, warning that "democracy's biggest vulnerability is inactivity," highlighting the threat of disinformation and repression.

Summit panels offered a multidimensional discourse on security and governance. Edward P. Joseph from Johns Hopkins SAIS emphasized the critical role of youth in Europe's security efforts and called for their leadership in building resilient, democratic institutions. Christine Getzler Vaughan, spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to NATO, highlighted the importance of international cooperation in defending democratic values.

Building Partnerships to Support Youth

The Summit began with Partnership Day, bringing together youth-led and youth-serving organizations like the Human Rights Foundation, Global Democracy Coalition, Juventud LAC, Youth Democracy Cohort, and the World Liberty Congress's Youth Liberty Congress. Through workshops, discussions, and networking, participants shared best practices and explored collaborative initiatives to strengthen youth engagement in democratic processes.

At the close of the day, partner organizations committed to fostering authentic partnerships that empower young leaders in civic and political spaces. By building transparent, mutually beneficial relationships, partners pledged to complement each other's efforts, driving policy change and institutional reforms that reflect youth priorities.

Charting the Future of Democracy

The Summit culminated in the signing of the 2024 Global Summit Declaration, a shared vision for the future of democracy co-created by Summit participants. The declaration emphasized participants' commitment to youth leadership, combating disinformation, promoting media literacy, and advancing civic engagement through inclusive, transparent policies. It also emphasized the importance of global cooperation in supporting democratic movements worldwide.

The closing ceremony, with remarks from Scott Mastic, IRI's Vice President of Programs, and Željko Vukša-Fejzić, President of Generation Democracy, celebrated participants' contributions and reaffirmed the commitment to advancing democracy. The 2024 Summit was a call to action for young leaders to shape the future, with the ideas and partnerships formed in Vilnius driving ongoing efforts toward responsive and resilient democracies.

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