Canadian Embassy Backs  Youth Vote Program

he #VotoChallengePa 2019 initiative has inspired hundreds of young people in the country to share through their social networks the reason why they will be voting on May 5.

 An initiative of  Transparency International’s Panama branch-the  Foundation for the Development of Citizen Liberty- in conjunction with the Embassy of Canada and TVN, aims to motivate young to exercise suffrage in an enthusiastic and informed manner.

18% of the voters are between 18 and 25 years old.

Informed
#VotoChallengePa, a virtual initiative that invites young people to become active  has inspired hundreds of n the country to share through their social networks the reason why they will vote on May 5

“I am young, I inform myself, and this May 5 I am going to vote because …”, is the slogan that encompasses the initiative, promoted by the Foundation for the Development of Citizen Liberty, together with the Embassy of Canada and TVN. In addition, the project has the collaboration of Praxis, Civic Space, Street School, the  Electoral Tribunal and the Law Students Association of the Santa María la Antigua University.

Carlos Gasnell, one of the coordinators of the campaign on behalf of the Fundación Libertad Ciudadana, explains that the objective is “to motivate young people to fulfill their duty and civic right to exercise their vote”.

At the end of each video, the young participant is supposed to “challenge” other friends to participate in the challenge, with the aim of “turning it viral”.

In addition to the video component, #VotoChallengePa will publish a virtual test in which you can determine what type of voter you are and how you can inform yourself in order to exercise a more conscious vote.

José Luis Paniza , one of the young people behind the project, explains that they will play a key role in the results of the elections. “We are about one third of the electoral roll,” he said.

The challenge, he explained, seeks to promote informed voting.

Corruption
According to the electoral roll, 56,000 young people will vote for the first time in the elections.

“They are very interested in the subject of education, the environment, and garbage,” he said, adding that “undoubtedly, the issue of corruption and transparency is key.”