For many, the word “activist” is associated with something large-scale: demonstrations, campaigns, and people with posters in the capital city. But most civic activism that actually makes a difference looks much more boring. It consists of people who show up when others don’t. Young people in Latvia now have more opportunities to participate than ever before, and most of them require neither experience nor special knowledge.

Voting is the beginning, not the end

Elections are the most visible form of civic participation, and in Latvia, youth voter turnout remains lower than that of older generations. The reasons vary: the feeling that one vote changes nothing, that politics is an “adult matter,” or that the choices between parties do not seem distinct enough. These reasons are understandable. However, the numbers show something concrete: in the 2022 parliamentary (Saeima) elections, the difference between several parties that made it into parliament and those that didn’t was less than 1,000 votes.

There are more than 100,000 young people aged 18 to 24 in Latvia. Voting alone does not solve systemic problems. But it is the minimum level of participation from which everything else begins.

What activism looks like in practice

Most people active in the civic sphere do not do it full-time. They attend local municipality meetings when decisions are being made about specific issues in their neighborhood, or they sign a petition regarding school funding. They organize one event a year or participate in a discussion hosted by an NGO. In Inspiria’s projects, youth civic participation often starts with something very specific: an environmental campaign, a discussion on digital rights, or an election initiative that explains the voting process to peers. These steps may seem small, but they build the habit of participation, and that adds up.

Why exactly now?

In the next 10 years, several crucial debates will take place in Latvia: regarding climate policy, digital infrastructure, the education system, and demography. The decisions made during this period will affect people who are currently between the ages of 18 and 25 for much longer than those who are currently making the decisions. This is not an argument for any specific political direction. It is an argument that young people have a logical reason to take an interest in processes that will occur specifically during their adult lives.

How to start when you feel like you don’t know where from?

You don’t need to know everything about politics or be familiar with every political party. Starting can be very specific: find one issue that interests you and look for an organization or initiative that works on it. Several youth organizations operate in Latvia, including Inspiria, which offers structured involvement in the civic sphere without the need to know everything at once. Civic activism for young people is not about being an expert. It’s about showing up.