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Description
In Lithuania, young people are among the most disinterested in politics and have a record low turnout in local government elections. The main reasons for this are: (1) the low-level of knowledge and practical skills of young people in politics; (2) the gap between politicians and young people; the negative image of politicians; (3) Insufficient number of political debates involving young people. Therefore, the primary target group of the project is 14-24-year-old young people in the regions who will become volunteers of the “Learn before You Vote” network and take active steps in their local areas.
“Learn before You Vote” is a network where young people from all over Lithuania join to volunteer in joint activities. It also include political scientists who help watchdogging politicians and journalists who moderate discussions and help volunteers select information about local politicians. In a large network, young people, which are supported by mentors and network coordinators, feel more self-confident in communicating with politicians and monitoring them.
The project aims to promote young people''s active, informed and conscious participation in local government elections and local decision-making through the monitoring of elected politicians.
Expected results of the project: Stronger network of volunteers; young people involved in quality civic activities; increased civic knowledge and capacity of young people to participate in public life through non-formal civic education; increased and more informed participation of young people in pre-election activities and elections through a virtual platform and live discussions; more young people in municipalities are involved in long-term policy monitoring and local decision-making.
Summary of project results
Young people in Lithuania have a very low turnout in local elections. The main reasons for this are: (1) young people''s weak knowledge of politics and practical skills to participate in public life; (2) the gap between politicians and young people, and the negative image of politicians; and (3) the lack of political debate involving young people. The first target group of the project is young people aged 14-24 in all regions. The project aimed to promote young people''s active, informed and conscious participation in local elections and local decision-making.
The project achieved its objective by strengthening the network of volunteers, organising educational sessions for young people, conducting election monitoring and campaigning to encourage informed voting, and monitoring the performance of elected mayors for the first time. 3. The project created a network of 14 mentors (long-term volunteers) who helped with the recruitment and orientation of new volunteers, expanded the network of volunteers, and developed their skills and capacities. In cooperation with ~60 educational institutions, volunteers delivered 120 educational sessions to 2400 people aged 14-24. Information campaigns on the elections highlighted the importance of making an informed choice, with invitations to debates, to ask questions to candidates in debates and on the virtual platform https://rinkimai.zinaukarenku.lt . Volunteers organised 91 debates. We also set up and for the first time monitored mayoral pledges https://stebesena2023.zinaukarenku.lt/
A network of youth volunteers has been gathered and strengthened, providing them with significant theoretical knowledge and practical skills on political and civic participation, communication and teamwork, organisational and communication skills. In elections 2023, the turnout of young people increased slightly: by 1.45 percentage points or 4% in the first round and by as much as 5.52 percentage points or 20% in the second round, which is decisive. We believe that our activities, especially in the second round, have not only helped to maintain the turnout of young people, but have also slightly increased it.