As democracies across Asia face new and sophisticated threats to their integrity, it is crucial for the next generation of leaders to have opportunities to help strengthen their home countries’ civic institutions and democratic processes. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) has long invested in the future of electoral integrity by nurturing young, like-minded individuals throughout the region, prioritizing the inclusion of youth in conversations around evolving electoral processes as they face new and emerging threats. ANFREL’s goal is to harness a new generation that is ready to embrace the challenges of combating democratic backsliding and supporting election integrity. The network believes that empowered young people can not only become actively engaged citizens but also embrace a profound sense of responsibility towards upholding democratic values.
In December 2023, ANFREL, with support from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), took an important step towards realizing this vision of youth involvement by launching the first Asian Academy for Electoral Integrity (AAEI) in Kathmandu, Nepal. For five days, sixteen young people from across Asia had the opportunity to share their experiences driving transformation in their respective countries while developing skills that will allow them to more meaningfully impact electoral systems at home.
After a rigorous selection process, organizers selected 16 participants from 11 countries across Asia to participate in the academy. The chosen participants actively contributed to shaping the curriculum by talking about what they wanted to learn and outlining specific components they deemed crucial for inclusion in the academy. Organizers used this information to tailor the curriculum so that the interactive training sessions addressed participants’ specific needs while also highlighting the strengths and relevant experiences of the participating organizations.
In the week prior to the five-day class, the AAEI fellows also participated in the sixth Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum (AESF-VI). The forum brought together election experts from around the region to discuss key electoral integrity challenges, share experiences and look at opportunities for reform. AAEI academy participants were able to serve as rapporteurs, allowing them to engage with more senior leaders and civil society activists from around the region. They also had the opportunity to interact with current and former election commissioners, including Dr. Shahabuddin Yaqoob (S.Y.) Quraishi, the former Chief Election Commissioner of India, and Mr. Luie Tito Guia, former Election Commissioner of Philippines. Accordingly, conference discussion points were used to form part of the “Kathmandu Declaration on Strengthening Democracy and Promoting Electoral Integrity through Electoral Reforms in Asia”, the key output of AESF-VI. The declaration serves as a shared commitment between election management bodies and election-related stakeholders on priority electoral integrity areas facing Aisa and beyond.
Building on the participants’ experiences at AESF-VI, the AAEI class dove into the details, facilitating a conversation about important electoral reform. This included conversation about how social media was affecting elections, how different legal frameworks could be used and practical approaches on how to pursue electoral reforms. Election experts facilitated the lectures, interactive and hands-on activities, and group exercises, including lightning talks and cross-cultural election discourses. For instance, the interactive session on open election data enabled participants to determine what election data might be collected within the 16 key categories of election data. Participants were put into small groups where they had to discuss and present possible datasets and the availability of data in their respective countries. This exercise gave participants an opportunity to understand what the process of getting election data might look like in their country, as well as identify gaps in the information provided by the electoral authorities.
To allow for ongoing learning, ANFREL plans on connecting participants post-academy and creating follow-on meetings under topics of specific interests. This will allow participants to dive deeper into the topics of interest, build networks for regional change, and disseminate knowledge gained back to their respective organizations. In an era where there are increasing threats to elections and democracy coupled with technological advancements, the ongoing engagement and capacity of youth as electoral safeguards are increasingly important and impactful.
Authors: Brizza Margareth Rosales Program In Charge for International Election Observation Mission and Capacity-Building (ANFREL), Mistire Kifle Program Associate, Elections and Political Processes
Related Stories
Advancing Education Rights in North Korea Through CSO Collaboration
Youth Building a Stronger Ukraine
###
NDI is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that works in partnership around the world to strengthen and safeguard democratic institutions, processes, norms and values to secure a better quality of life for all. NDI envisions a world where democracy and freedom prevail, with dignity for all.
