TRIPOLI - Bringing youth closer to politics so that they feel their voices make a difference in the Structured Dialogue (SD) was at the heart of an online discussion led by five youth members of the SD with twenty-five young women from the UN in Libya’s Ra’idat programme. Participants of the discussion, held on Saturday, shared ideas and considered the priority issues for youth across the four tracks of the SD – economy, security, governance and national reconciliation and human rights.
Members of the SD highlighted the issues each track had discussed so far. They asked participants to consider key questions, identify the role youth can play in the future political process, and consider the priorities which should be built into discussions going forward.
“Youth are the ones who pay the biggest price for conflicts,” said a member of the SD security track. “This is why we want to make a difference. Everyone should have the opportunity to give us recommendations so that we can listen to and ensure youth priorities are embedded in the process.”
Most participants in the discussion felt that ensuring security in Libya was key to finding a path forward. They said that many citizens didn’t feel safe in their own homes. They also noted that it was predominantly youth joining armed groups. The security risks were double for women, they added. Participants urged members to focus on developing outcomes with impact, and which are implementable. However, they also highlighted how all tracks were interlinked, with participants stressing that there could not be economic stability and security without one government.
"The majority of Libyan citizens are facing soaring prices, and dollar exchange rates are skyrocketing,” said one of the Ra’idat participants adding that a solution urgently needed to be found so that Libyans can afford basic commodities and daily needs.
“The challenge for young people is to get past the stigma that they are too young to be involved in politics,” said a youth member in the SD, a member of the economic track. “We have proved the importance of youth in this process. Young people are told they don’t have the awareness or tools to speak, but our presence changes that.”
Participants suggested that a programme of awareness raising should be mandatory in secondary schools across the country so that young men and women knew how to engage in politics and that elections meant they could make changes and advocate for key issues.
They also noted that many youth were apprehensive about raising their voices in politics for safety reasons.
“We propose that a platform is created with the High National Elections Commission which educates Libyan youth on how they take informed voting decisions or run as candidates,” said another Ra’idat participant. “It is important for youth to be able to make informed decisions and get involved because they are the majority of the population.”
They highlighted the marginalization of cultural components and stressed that all SD outcomes should reflect the cultural diversity of Libya. Participants agreed that giving youth secure spaces to engage in discussions, such as polls, and online and in person discussions, would help them to feel less insecure.
Further youth online discussions will be held on UNSMIL’s digital youth platform in the coming weeks. Young men and women from across the country are encouraged to join and engage in the discussions and have their opinions and ideas fed back into the SD.
