Youth for Human Rights: Article 21 – The Right to Participate in Government and Free Elections

Fatma Zehra Kuşakcı, Emil Surma, Gonçalo Avila, Şam Sağıt, Oliver Sram, Philipp Krta
​from Türkiye, Germany, Portugal, Kroatia, Slovakia, Greece

Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of their country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. [...] The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections."
This article guarantees the right to political participation, fair representation, and free and regular elections — key elements of any democracy.
Within our Erasmus+ project "Youth for Human Rights", students from Germany, Croatia, Portugal, Slovakia, Greece, and Turkey collaborated to reflect on this fundamental right. They explored how young people can get involved in civic life, why voting matters, and how democratic participation ensures that all voices are heard in shaping the future.