Keli🇬🇭 🇬🇭

Digital spaces have changed how young people organise, challenge power and participate in democracy. But turning online mobilisation into lasting change requires more than visibility. At the Ghana Youth–Policy Dialogue Forum, the youth-led FIRE CHAT on Youth Voices, Digital Democracy and the New Civic Space explored how technology is reshaping civic participation and what young people are demanding from governance institutions. The conversation featured Patrick Keli Atitsogbui, Barcamp Ghana Online and Marketing Lead, digital skills trainer and Public Sector IT Standards Manager, and Florence Toffa, Director of Mobile Web Ghana, public open data advocate and digital skills programme manager, and moderated by Melody Azinim, Peace and Governance Analyst at UNDP Ghana. Discussions explored social media mobilisation, civic technology, digital accountability, misinformation and disinformation, artificial intelligence and democratic participation. Participants also considered the barriers that prevent some young people from accessing digital spaces and the challenge of translating online advocacy into engagement with institutions and decision-makers. The conversation highlighted both the opportunities and limitations of digital democracy. Online platforms can help young people organise, share information and demand accountability, but their impact depends on whether these efforts can influence decisions beyond the digital space. As young people continue to redefine civic engagement, the challenge is to build stronger connections between digital participation, inclusive public dialogue and institutional responsiveness. #YouthPolicyDialogue #DigitalDemocracy #GenZ #YouthParticipation #DemocracyAndGovernance #ReformInitiatives