Researching and advancing young people's role in politics, policy, and democracy.
An international two-day convening examining how young people engage with democratic structures. The conference brings together youth leaders, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from the Global South to address democratic representation, civic engagement, and youth political participation across different systems.
Feb 28: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM IST (2 days)
Marwadi University, Rajkot, India
Open to all — registration required
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Register NowAcross the world, young people are reshaping democracy—from climate protests and electoral reform to digital rights and grassroots resistance. Yet despite their energy and numbers, youth remain underrepresented in parliaments, policy spaces, and international forums.
The Youth & Democracy Conference challenges this status quo.Hosted at Marwadi University by the Centre for Youth Policy (CYP) and the Young India Foundation (YIF), this two-day international convening brings together youth leaders, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners from the Global South and beyond to examine how young people engage with democratic structures and how democracies must adapt to fully include, represent, and empower them.Designed as academic in form and participatory in spirit, the conference pairs daytime paper presentations, research panels, and closed-door policy roundtables with evening keynotes, cultural showcases, town halls, and intergenerational dialogues that connect evidence with public imagination. Inspired by global models, from European youth democracy forums to resilience summits, this gathering responds to the urgency of our time: democratic backsliding, youth disillusionment, and a rapidly evolving digital public sphere demand new ideas, new leadership, and new alliances.