Making Democracy Work For Young People

This week marks September 15th - The International Day of Democracy. 

The International Day of Democracy provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world. Whilst democracies were founded on the role of citizen led government, as politics has evolved, many citizens - especially young people-  feel left behind by the political process. 

Research from the Museum of Australian Democracy suggests that:

1. Fewer than 41% of Australian citizens are satisfied with the way democracy works in Australia, down from 86% in 2007. 
2. Generation X is least satisfied (31%) and the Baby Boomers most satisfied (50%).
3. Just 31% of the population trust federal government. 
4. Ministers and MPs (whether federal or state) rate at just 21%, and
5. More than 60% of Australians believe the honesty and integrity of politicians is very low.

Most impactful, in relation to young people, was this statistic published by the Foundation for Young Australians: "in the past 11 years, Australians have had six leadership changes. No Australian under 30 has ever voted for a PM who has lasted a full term."

As International Day of Democracy approaches next week, we want to bring young people together to discuss the state of democracy in Australia, what it means, and how we can make it work better for young people. 

The event will allow for Q&A discussion from the audience, and we hope to make it as interactive as possible. 

Meet the speakers:

• Gulandam Khan - Co-Founder & Project Lead of Not Too Young To (moderator)
• Kareem El-Ansary - 21st Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations
• Tim Lo Surdo - Founder and National Director of Democracy in Colour
• Tiana Sixsmith - Victorian Youth Congress & Director of Operations at UN Youth Victoria
• Prof. Mark Evans - Director of Democracy 2025 at Museum of Australian Democracy