TRIPOLI – Reaching young men and women across Libya and encouraging them to engage in the Structured Dialogue through the digital youth platform was the focus of a meeting on Saturday of youth members from all dialogue tracks. Facilitated by UNSMIL, participants discussed effective ways to engage the largest number of young people from across the country and the diaspora in debating pressing national issues being discussed by the four Structured Dialogue tracks.
“Youth should be leading reforms and shaping the future rather than fueling violence,” said one member. “For young people in Libya to engage effectively, we should initiate this engagement and bring them into the ongoing conversations among the dialogue participants.”
Participants discussed a broad range of ideas to reach their peers by utilizing all digital assets and channels deployed by UNSMIL, as well as platforms such as the current cohort of the Ra’idat programme and its alumni network.
“Everyone knows that the role of youth in the Structured Dialogue is very important,” said another member. “This is not just a performance. Youth are the beating heart of society, and their engagement adds to the credibility of the Structured Dialogue.”
UNSMIL's digital youth platform on Facebook is open to all young men and women in Libya, as well as Libyans in the diaspora aged 18–35. Members of the platform will be able to participate in dedicated discussions, polls and live meetings, connecting with youth across the country to put forward their ideas and have them reflected in the Structured Dialogue meetings.
“We want to use the current youth platform, and youth group in the Structured Dialogue, to contribute youth perspectives, bridge differences and help address bottlenecks in the dialogue,” said a third member. “We will be able to use data from surveys and polls to strengthen our arguments and help move things forward towards elections and the desired stability.”
In the coming weeks the Structured Dialogue youth will be posting videos on the platform to introduce themselves to the public and will set up the first online live discussion. A wider call for volunteer youth correspondents to take the message forward in relation to the Structured Dialogue will also be released this week. These volunteers will be producing reports on the Structured Dialogue and creating content to ensure the maximum number of youth participants are engaged
These volunteers will help with content creation around the Structured Dialogue, explaining what is being discussed, and will see them work within their communities to create content highlighting the real impact of issues like political division, economic instability, or human rights challenges on daily lives.
The work of the Structured Dialogue aligns with UNSMIL’s mandate to use its good offices to facilitate an inclusive, Libyan-owned and -led political process, and to advance consensus on governance arrangements toward the holding of national elections, unified accountable institutions and long-term stability.
