With recent political reforms and the November parliamentary elections coming up, young people in Myanmar are engaging in political parties and trying to influence the democratic direction of the country.
To support young people in their efforts to promote positive political change in Myanmar, Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy, DIPD, invited a delegation of political party youth representatives to Denmark to share experiences with young Danish politicians and civil society activists, the institute says on its website.
On the 6-7 June the Myanmar delegation visited the offices of the Danish Youth Council (DUF) and the offices of political party youth wings, including the Liberal Youth (Venstre) and the Socialist Youth Front (SUF).
The delegation benefited from the frank and open exchange that highlighted the innovative ways in which Danish youth have been able to influence politics, as well as their challenges in overcoming barriers in participation. Joachim Kofoed from the Liberal Party Youth highlighted how the Danish “school elections” program inspired many young people to join political parties and become interested in making a change in their local communities.
Myanmar and Danish youth also discussed how social media provide new opportunities for young people to communicate widely even with limited resources. They identified creative use of social media platforms as a way for the youth to build bridges between politicians and their constituents.
Danish youth shared their experiences in promoting political participation of young students as an effective tactic to generate greater interest in politics at an early age. According to the Danish experience, even very young students can make a significant impact on politics in their community. Through their participation they can also build skills that will be useful in their future careers.
The opportunity to exchange ideas proved extremely useful for Myanmar youth politicians, as Sai Aung Han of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy remarked, “The trip has allowed us to interact with a wide range of people, and get ideas for how organize our own parties and party youth wings.”
For more information
Khin Thazin Myint, Myanmar Country Coordinator, DIPD, +95 9 421 009 560 ([email protected])
Hanne Lund Madsen, Senior Adviser, DIPD, +45 38402802 ([email protected])
