One way of reaching out to
marginalized youth is the use of cultural activities in the form of music,
theatre, street art and comics. They offer the possibility to convey electoral
messages in a playful manner to targeted audiences.
Many
EMBs are already
thinking progressively by using arts and culture
in voter education activities.
Example: In Tunisia, UNDP in 2011 sponsored the recording of the song “Enti
Essout”[i] (“You are the Voice” or, more idiomatically, “It’s Your Call”), which became the unofficial
anthem of the elections. The song was a collaboration among a diverse group of
Tunisian musicians, from folk singers
to rap artists, and was distributed for free on CD and made available for free download from the internet.
Example: In the 2016 national Mongolian parliamentary
election, Women for Change, a CSO, implemented an interactive art installation
as part of its voter education and political accountability programs. Young
people were invited to paint 500 ceramic hand sculptures and provided with
non-partisan information about voting registration, the democratic process, and
the importance of including young people’s voices in politics. See Annex: Raising
Voter Awareness in Mongolia.
Example: In 2014, UNDP supported the
Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan with promoting civic and voter
education through mobile theatres throughout the country. Mobile theatres
targeted illiterate people in particular and emphasized the importance of
elections in the democratic process as well as a voter’s ability to influence
his or her future.
Example: In 2018 in Bougainville, the
election management body (Office of Bougainville Election Commission) set up an
awareness/voter education booth at the Bougainville Chocolate Festival (a
cultural festival which attracts potential voters from throughout the region).
Example: In Japan, when
the country was preparing to introduce legislation to lower the voting age from
20 to 18, in 2016, the government (through the Ministry of Public Management,
Home Affairs, Posts, and Telecommunications) enlisted a heroine of the popular
comic books as a spokesmodel for its teen education efforts.
