In conversations around governance and democracy, I’ve been struck by how inclusion continues to emerge as both a challenge and a catalyst for change. From the International Democracy Day (IDD) Conference in Brussels to the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, one theme was consistently reaffirmed for me: young people are not just the future of democracy, they are the present.

At the IDD conference, Namibian Deputy Minister of Information, Emma Theofelus, reminded us that while networks and youth movements are flourishing, many young people still don’t know how to navigate the systems that shape their lives. “That’s why these networks matter,” she said, referring to networks of young people mobilizing and doing the ground work, “they help us find our way.” The next generation of leaders is not short of vision or courage, but what is often missing is the bridge between civic energy and institutional power. I see this not just as a statement about access, but about belonging. This same idea of belonging surfaced again in discussions at the OGP Summit. There, Mayor Seydina, of Yoff, Senegal, stressed the importance of both transparency and proximity to elected officials to encourage young people to see themselves in governance roles and as stewards of democracy.

Deputy Minister Theofelus offered Namibia as an example of how intentional inclusion can start conversations that highlight challenges and shift culture. In Namibia, over 40% of parliamentarians are women, and almost a quarter of all members are younger than 40. Despite this progress, Deputy Minister Theofelus noted that mobilizing financial and political resources to ensure inclusion, while vital, remains a struggle – especially when representation in government must now extend into the private sector and other spheres of influence.

As a complement, Dr. Tasnim Jara, a Bangladeshi physician-activist, used a powerful metaphor: “Without inclusion, a democracy is like a body with a broken arm. It cannot heal if you ignore one part of the body.” This was particularly insightful, as inclusivity, participation, and representation are not just about fairness but rather about the functionality of the entire system. Modern processes and our very democracies are operating with self-inflicted wounds when they sideline and marginalize women and young people. 

Elisabeth Agbiti-Douglas, Director at the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, during a panel at OGP, highlighted that, in the Nigerian context, categorizing something as a “youth” issue minimizes its pervasiveness. Where the median age is 18 and nearly 60% of the population is younger than 30, a “youth” issue is not confined to that demographic but reflects the lived realities of most Nigerians. When our systems cannot adapt and power is not redistributed to the next generation, we risk disenfranchising and losing the trust of broad swaths of citizens.

While recognizing that inclusion, particularly the support of women and young people, is vital to the success of our democracies, Santiago Barrail warned against the dangers of tokenistic representation and instead called for building systems and mechanisms in which young people are not just heard, but their voices and opinions are actually acted on. These challenges of symbolic representation can erode trust and deepen apathy toward participating. Another speaker put it even more bluntly. Joshua Villalobos emphatically stated that for those who care about youth and inclusion, it’s time to “put your money where your mouth is.” Passion and a vision for the future can only carry our young leaders so far, and without financial, institutional, and structural support, their work becomes unsustainable. Our challenge lies in turning these rich conversations, in which young actors explicitly state what they need, into commitments and action.

As I look ahead past these few weeks of conferences and into the coming years, it seems obvious to me that inclusion is not simply a policy but rather a culture and ideology to be built. It will require intergenerational dialogue, support, and mentorship to fill gaps, as well as new systems that allow those on the margins to contribute meaningfully and measureably. Our institutions will have to listen and act – not just invite new actors or perform openness, but actually share power. If democracy is a living body, as Dr. Jara said, then every part must be cared for to ensure its resilience.

Shally Baloch