Under NPC’s Active Citizens for Elections and Democracy (ACED) project funded by the European Union, a series of 12 training sessions were conducted in Ampara, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Galle, Kandy, Kurunegala, Mannar, Matara, Monaragala, Polonnaruwa, Vavuniya, and Kilinochchi Districts to enhance youth engagement in the electoral process.

Each training programme targeted 30 youth participants in each district, divided equally between male and female youth, who were active and interested in politics and the electoral processes.

The programme focused on thematic areas such as political literacy, voter education, election related laws, youth quota, active engagement and strategies, participation in elections and politics through media and social media, and campaign finance.

The sessions were facilitated by resource persons in Tamil and Sinhala along with the ACED project team. Collaborative efforts were made with district partners and coordinators to ensure the selection of the suitable participants and the effective delivery of the training.

During the sessions it was noted that many participants lacked basic awareness of fundamentals including the proper use of ballot papers. As a result of the training programme, some participants shared their knowledge with different community groups.

The ACED Project remains committed to empowering youth, women, local leaders and enhancing their participation in the electoral processes.