I WANT TO BE ELECTED CAMPAIGN

Youth Association for Habitat has been facilitating youth participation in decision making since 1997 within the framework of Local Agenda 21 Programme in Turkey. The Programme enabled the advocacy of local youth councils and the establishment of necessary policies.
Consequent to active youth work, the Municipality Law is changed in 2006 proving local youth councils a legal framework and enabling them to have a stronger role at municipalities’ decision making processes. 
Besides, the national network of local youth councils, National Youth Parliament, has campaigned to decrease the eligibility age from 30 to 25 to become a deputy at Turkish Great National Assembly; the campaign was highly supported by local governments, ministers and the public. With a constitutional change in 2006, young people gained their right to represent the nation.

Second phase of the “I Want to Be Elected” Campaign targets local elections in March 2009. 
Main actors of the Programme are UNDP, UCLG-MEWA, Youth Association for Habitat, NDI, local youth councils, National Youth Parliament, municipalities, women’s and city councils.
Second phase of the “I Want to Be Elected” Campaign targets local elections in March 2009.  Local youth councils in 92 provinces have been advocating increasing the number of young local decision makers at municipality and provincial councils.
With this purpose, local youth councils and Youth Association for Habitat have
• partnered with women’s and city councils;
• been trained on lobbying and advocacy;
• visited youth wings of political parties and party leaders at local level;
• informed parliamentarians and mayors, collected support from the public;
• organized panels and seminars on youth participation; and
• cooperated with the media and shared all of the activities held in 93 provinces through the interactive web portal of the National Youth Parliament: www.ulusalgenclikparlamentosu.net and the web site of the campaign: www.secilmekistiyorum.org .