Resources: Log on to... Youth democracy

It's a commonplace observation that young people aren't interested in formal democracy. And figures could be seen as backing them up, as only 39 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted in the last general election. But youth workers know young people are passionate about improving their communities, even if they don't always want to use adult structures to do it. It's also clear that many of those who seem to reject or be rejected by society are looking for a way to get their voices heard.

A range of organisations argue that lowering the voting age to 16 is an important way of preventing this disconnection from politics. The campaign website www.votesat16.org.uk is full of material for discussing the issue or running your own campaign. Documents include a briefing on the issue, a petition for use through schools and youth organisations and sample motions for local councils and youth councils. Worth noting perhaps is that among the supporters is the Monster Raving Loony Party, which says it is considering supporting reduction of the voting age to five years old "to reflect the behaviour of politicians in the House of Commons". And, just like any other self-respecting political campaign, there is now a Facebook group too.