To mark the 2026 International Youth Day, which carries the global theme “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations”, Haiti’s Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Civic Action (MJSAC) brought together dozens of electoral and civic stakeholders for a full-day symposium focused on removing barriers to youth participation in upcoming national elections. The August 16 event, which ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at an undislclosed central location in Port-au-Prince, gathered representatives from the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), dozens of grassroots youth associations, the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, and multiple UN agencies with ongoing missions in the Caribbean nation.
In his opening address to attendees, Youth, Sports, and Civic Action Minister Pythagore Dumas framed Haitian youth as a transformative force for the country’s democratic future, noting that the younger generation now brings a clear, forward-looking vision for national progress. Dumas emphasized that sustained investment in youth opportunity and inclusive governance must sit at the top of the government’s priorities, adding that active civic participation from young people is non-negotiable for a functional democracy. To back this commitment, he highlighted the recently adopted 2026-2036 National Youth Policy, which lays out clear strategic development priorities and actionable implementation frameworks designed to boost both the individual capacities of Haitian youth and their collective engagement in public life.
Counselor Yves Marie Édouard, speaking on behalf of the CEP — Haiti’s independent electoral oversight body — used the symposium as a platform to educate young attendees on their fundamental civic rights and responsibilities, with a specific focus on the act of voting. She pushed back against growing voter apathy among young demographics, stressing that casting a ballot is far from a meaningless routine, but rather a core civic duty that shapes the trajectory of the nation. Édouard urged young Haitians to step up their involvement in public affairs and contribute to strengthening the country’s young democratic institutions, wrapping her remarks in a clear three-step call to action: “register, participate, vote”. She reminded attendees that meaningful civic engagement begins with the foundational step of registering to vote, and culminates in active participation on election day.
During a dedicated panel discussion unpacking the structure and challenges of Haiti’s current electoral system, Eddy Philémond, Deputy Director of the CEP’s Electoral Training Department, walked attendees through the full timeline of the upcoming electoral process, detailing every stage from voter registration to vote counting. Philémond also outlined the multiple avenues through which young Haitians can get involved beyond just voting, including volunteer roles in voter registration drives and civic education campaigns in underserved communities.
For the CEP, the symposium served as an official opportunity to reaffirm its stance that young people are irreplaceable key players in both the electoral process and the long-term health of Haiti’s democracy. The electoral institution reiterated its call for young Haitians to seek out accurate information on electoral processes, complete their voter registration, exercise their hard-won right to vote, and show up as active partners in building a more inclusive, democratic future for all Haitians.
