Two civil society organisations have joined forces to create a project to enhance youth participation in democratic processes.

The N$11 million-dollar project titled 'Strengthening Democratic Participation: Namibia Needs Me' is the collective brainchild of the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID) and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

The project is aimed at enhancing participation in democratic processes through civic education, targeting youth and those in secondary and tertiary learning institutions.

Namibia has a young population; 43% of the population are aged 15 to 24 years, and it goes without saying that it is imperative for them to understand the values and principles of democracy and the importance of actively participating in political matters.

The Executive Director at NID, Naita Hishoono, said the project stated that a campaign to mobilise youth was launched in September and will run for 33 months.

Ambassador of the EU to Namibia, Ana Beatrice Martins, stated that the principles of democracy are cherished but are also under constant threat, and it is therefore important to equip the youth with the know-how and skills to participate meaningfully in democratic processes.

Targeted youth groups, secondary school learners from various schools, and university students from across the country will take part in the civil education training sessions.