Community-based Democracy

TASC

Building on our extensive experience in participatory democracy in Ireland, TASC’s proposed project aims to fortify democracy by tackling political disaffection among young people. The project will partner with local organisations to engage ethnically diverse youth (ages 16-25) in high-deprivation areas (many of whom are facing multiple challenges like addiction, mental health issues, and food poverty) in community development and advocacy. With the aim of empowering young people to envision and implement changes in their communities, objectives include building skills in planning, sustainability, accessing funding, interacting with policymakers, organising events, and, critically, verifying and disseminating trusted information – an urgent need in target communities where misinformation is prevalent and poses a growing threat to democracy. In short, the project will foster democracy through civic engagement – giving participants a role in envisioning appropriate policies, services, and institutions in their own communities and the skills and confidence to hold politicians and civil servants accountable. Initial project plans involve collaborating with approximately 15 youth services organisations, schools, and community colleges across six communities over two years, with longer-term implications at the community, national, and EU levels for encouraging political participation through grassroots civic engagement.