The Department of Political Thought at the College of Political Science – University of Baghdad, in collaboration with the Continuing Education Unit, organized a scientific workshop entitled “The Political Participation of Youth in Elections” on the occasion of the International Day of Democracy.
The workshop was attended by many professors of the College and postgraduate students, who engaged in rich discussions and scientific interventions on the role of youth in supporting the democratic process through their active participation in elections.
The workshop opened with a welcoming speech that outlined its objectives. The speech emphasized the importance of enhancing young people’s political awareness, identifying the challenges that hinder their participation, and reviewing mechanisms for using digital technologies to strengthen their political engagement.
The workshop was chaired by Assistant Professor Ahmed Mohammed Ali Al-Awadi, who supervised the discussions and scientific interventions that enriched the event.
The workshop featured three main research papers:
• Professor Tariq Abdul-Hafiz Adnan, “The Iraqi Youth and Their Role in Promoting Democracy”
• Assistant Professor Mona Hamdi Hikmet, “The Means of Promoting the Participation of Youth in the Electoral Process”
• Lecturer Alia Abdul-Ameer Abdul-Majid and Assistant Teacher Fatima Farhan, “The Transformation of Youth Participation in Iraq in the Digital Age: A Political and Intellectual Approach”
The participants affirmed that young people constitute the core of the democratic process and that enhancing their participation in elections represents a fundamental pillar for strengthening the values of citizenship.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the following recommendations were presented to enhance the role of youth in the political process:
• Launching awareness-raising programs on elections that focus on youth in order to strengthen their confidence in the democratic process.
• Activating the roles of universities and civil society institutions in promoting youth political participation.
• Utilizing news outlets and social media to spread information about elections.
• Conducting in-depth studies on the impact of digital technology on the electoral behavior of young people.
• Enhancing communication between the Independent High Electoral Commission and universities to involve students in voluntary training programs.
The workshop concluded with the confirmation that the active participation of youth represents a genuine guarantee of a democratic future in Iraq.
