Laughing and chatting, a group of young people in Anyama left a focus group session to celebrate a birthday together. This seemed a normal thing to do – except that it would have been unthinkable a year ago, when these youth found themselves on opposite sides of an ethnic and political divide that resulted in bloodshed and loss of life. 

The inclusion of Libyan youth, representing almost half of the population, is essential for positive social and political change in the country. Globally, youth interest in political participation is on the rise, and Libya is no exception, with youth expressing desire to help address community issues, promote dialogue and peace, and strengthen democratic and transitional processes.

On January 28, NDI joined a discussion on public sentiment in Kosovo, based on its April 2021 public opinion research. The discussion, hosted by the Harriman Institute at Columbia Univeristy, covered historical trends in Kosovo, the 2021 national and local elections, and a forward look.

View the full event recording below.

In times of anti-democratic backlash and increased political polarization, public trust in political parties is worryingly low. Parties are increasingly perceived as elite-driven and unrepresentative of the public because of corruption, populism and greater financial costs of engaging in politics. While political parties should play a key role in democratic governance – responsibly aggregating citizen’s concerns into policy as well as; vetting, selecting and influencing political leaders – they often struggle to do so, further alienating the public.