Young people are leading democratic innovation around the world. To support that leadership, the Governance Action Hub set up two Democracy Labs: co-creation spaces where youth leaders from more than a dozen countries could design and build their own tools for change, from scratch. One lab built a self-assessment tool to help aspiring young political leaders gauge their readiness to enter politics. Another lab researched Gen Z-led movements globally, tracing how artivism and creative expression can be powerful tools for political and social change.
Join us to explore what the democracy labs have built — and help shape what comes next.
What to expect
- A first look at the tools and research, from the young leaders who built them
- Lessons learned from a year of co-creation
- A chance to share your own feedback and ideas
- New connections across the Governance Action Hub community
Whether your work touches youth participation, democratic innovation, governance, or cross-sector collaboration, we invite you to join us.
More about the Democracy Labs
In 2025, we invited young leaders from over twenty countries to come together and design an initiative to strengthen democracy. They had an open brief, received seed funding, and facilitation support. They took the lead and chose to focus on two priorities: supporting young leaders who are getting into politics and exploring creative ways to make democracy accessible through art and media. These seeds evolved into the creation of two Democracy Labs — spaces to collaborate, co-create, and accelerate the development of their ideas into concrete actions.
Here’s a glimpse into what the labs have built:
The Making Democracy Accessible Lab examined Gen Z-led movements across the globe, looking at how artivism and creative expression have become powerful tools for change. They also explored lessons learned and crystalized what is needed for artivism to be effective.
The Getting into Politics Lab created a self-assessment tool that covers the core skills and attributes needed to drive political change, helping young people gauge their readiness to enter politics. The tool also helps them identify where to grow with a focus on hard skills and soft skills.
Join us on 12 August to explore these innovations and engage with members of the Democracy Labs!