In a country where nearly three out of every four citizens are under the age of 34, the struggle of young Liberians is no longer just a social concern -- it is a political emergency.
That was the central message at a one-day Inter-Party Youth Dialogue held Tuesday in Monrovia, organized by the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) with support from the European Union. The forum brought together youth representatives from 13 political parties in what organizers described as the beginning of a renewed push to transform young people from political followers into decision-makers.
At the heart of the dialogue were sobering findings: unemployment, lack of market-relevant education, and rising teenage pregnancy are eroding youth participation and weakening democratic engagement.
Delivering a forceful statement, Cllr. Oscar Bloh, head of NIMD in Liberia, warned that young people -- who constitute about 74 percent of the population -- remain dramatically underrepresented in political leadership and governance.
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"It's an irony," Bloh said, "that you will have the population, but then you are underrepresented and, in most instances, comfortable with that. And we will say to you: it is not acceptable."
Bloh explained that prior to the dialogue, NIMD conducted a political economy analysis examining Liberia's broader economic and governance landscape. That research was followed by nationwide consultations across all 15 counties, conducted in partnership with the Federation of Liberian Youth.
Across the country, three concerns surfaced consistently--lack of employment and livelihood opportunities; limited access to relevant, job-oriented education linked to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET); and the growing challenge of teenage pregnancy.
"These factors," Bloh said, "if not addressed, can undermine youth participation in political processes."
For many young Liberians, politics has become transactional rather than transformative -- a space where mobilization is expected during elections, but meaningful representation remains elusive afterward.
"The issues you face when you go to look for a job, when you are sick, when you lack TVET skills -- they don't ask you which party you are from," Bloh emphasized. "You go there as a young person."
The country's post-war history has repeatedly demonstrated the political power of young people -- sometimes constructively, sometimes destructively. Cllr. Domah of NIMD recalled the "Bututwo Declaration," when youth leaders pledged never again to be manipulated into violence after the civil war.
But as Liberia prepares for another electoral cycle leading toward 2029, organizers say the risk is not only violence, but marginalization.
"We've had a history of divisive politics," Bloh noted, referencing ethnic rhetoric and inflammatory campaigning that have, at times, propelled youth into confrontation. "The democracy school is intended to provide a space for young people to learn how to enter political discourse differently."
The Democracy School initiative, already piloted for university leaders and informal youth groups, will now expand to focus specifically on youth wings of political parties -- aiming to reposition young members beyond ceremonial roles.
"You should not just be represented as youth wings," Bloh urged. "You must occupy strategic positions within your parties and make strategic decisions."
The deeper challenge, he suggested, is cultural. Young people have too often accepted being mobilized rather than empowered.
"You have to ask critical questions. You have to challenge the status quo. You have to seek your own interests -- irrespective of party affiliation."
A Generational Question
Marie-Paule Neuville, Program Officer for Governance at the EU Delegation to Liberia, reinforced that Liberian youth challenge mirrors global patterns -- but carries heightened urgency given the country's demographics.
"Today it's not about left or right. It's about young people," she said. "Imagine the power you have here, the young people in Liberia, if you think about the percentage of the population you represent."
Neuville highlighted European-supported programs such as the Women and Youth in Democratic Engagement (WIDE) initiative, which backed youth-led election monitoring efforts in 2023 aimed at reducing violence. She also pointed to the Global Youth Participation Index, covering 130 countries, as evidence that youth underrepresentation is a systemic issue worldwide.
Yet she argued that Liberia's demographic reality offers a unique opportunity.
"If Europe can cooperate across nations, surely you can cooperate across political parties," she told participants. "You share the same generation. You share the same problems. You can share the same solutions."
Her message was clear--collaboration among youth across party lines is not a luxury--it is a strategic necessity to reduce polarization and increase influence.
The dialogue also exposed structural constraints that go beyond party politics. Youth face limited access to financing, high unemployment, restricted entry into policy-making spaces, and internal party hierarchies that prioritize seniority over generational renewal.
Prince Dunbar, Political Affairs Director at the National Elections Commission (NEC), challenged youth participants to demand stronger representation within formal party decision-making bodies, particularly the Inter-Party Consultative Committee.
"When we call political meetings," Dunbar observed, "we see only executives and leaders of political parties. It is hard to see the youth that I see across here."
He also raised a symbolic but telling issue--Liberia's unclear definition of who qualifies as "youth."
"I have seen in this country a person serving for 45 or 50 years as a youth," he remarked. "We need a concrete definition."
The ambiguity reflects a deeper reluctance within political institutions to relinquish control.
The implications extend beyond political reform. With youth unemployment persistently high and educational pathways poorly aligned with labor market needs, economic frustration can quickly become political disillusionment.
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Bloh's warning was blunt: if structural economic issues remain unresolved, they will erode democratic participation.
"When political parties advocate for youth participation," he argued, "they stand to benefit electorally. But that participation must be meaningful."
For Liberia -- still rebuilding institutions decades after civil war -- a disengaged majority population poses long-term risks to governance stability.
Neuville framed it differently but with equal urgency:
"Collaboration means amplifying your voice. It demonstrates political maturity. It reduces polarization."
Organizers described the dialogue as the beginning of a broader roadmap to revive inter-party youth cooperation. The immediate goal is to reactivate youth councils and develop a structured platform for continuous engagement rather than one-off events.
Whether the initiative transforms into lasting reform will depend on what happens after participants return to their parties.
The stakes are enormous. They are the voting majority. They are the labor force backbone. They are the demographic engine of the country.
Yet they remain, by many measures, politically peripheral and economically constrained.
The forum made one thing clear that democracy cannot mature here if its majority population remains politically junior.
The question now is whether young people will continue to be counted--or finally begin to count.
