A guide to getting politically engaged

There was a lot of talk this election about the need for young adults to get involved in politics. This is a valuable statement considering we make up such a large portion of the population and are the future of the Canadian political system. So, getting involved and keeping informed are vital.

We have to take note of what young adults can bring to the table. There are a lot of unique perspectives within our demographic that have flourished with the increase of technological availability. We have access to immense amounts information that helps us form diverse opinions. Take social issues for example: the rights of minority groups are greatly voiced within our generation because of our immense exposure to different ways of life.

However, the main question posed is not why you should get involved (because at this point, that is obvious), instead it is about how. There is the blatant way, voting, but more importantly, there are a lot of other easy ways for youth from all different backgrounds and levels of interest to get involved beyond exercising their basic democratic right.

Get informed

The simplest way to get involved in the political process is to get informed. One way to do so is to read politically based articles from various news sources in the mainstream media. That can include The Globe and Mail, New York Times, BBC, etc. which all have very active Twitter and Facebook platforms that make accessibility quite easy. There are many smaller publications as well that provide more in depth coverage of less mainstream topics (i.e. The Pontiac Tribune, which covers issues in mainstream media from different perspectives). Beyond that, there are many groups on-campus that provide really great spaces for further learning. The Association of Political Science Students, the University of Toronto Students Union, as well as a variety of smaller interest groups related to politics host many great informative events that range on issues from electoral processes to the refugee crisis and beyond.

 Volunteer and reach out

Another route you can take is to physically put yourself out there and get involved through volunteer opportunities. Internships and jobs are not the only ways to get tangibly involved in politics, and most politicians and advocacy groups on and off-campus are always looking for volunteers to spread the message. If you have specific interest in a party, there are multiple campus groups for all the major political parties as well as groups for less mainstream views such as Communism, Socialism and Marxism. If advocacy is more your forte, U of T has a wide range of groups that may interest you. Amnesty International has chapters at most colleges as does the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). Interest groups also have a large presence on campus with specific groups for migration and refugee issues, women’s rights, LGBT issues, healthcare reform, and even general democracy and peace discussion organizations. All these groups and more can be found through the ULife website.

Off-campus opportunities also offer great ways to get involved. Politicians for each level of government are always looking for volunteers in their constituency offices (especially around election time) along with general organizations, such as the different party associations that are very appreciative of young adult support.

Make your voice heard

One of the most important actions you should take is to add to the conversation. There is a common misconception around both voting and giving your opinions that individually, they do not matter. The fact is that they do. Your voice and vote, although a fraction of the population, contribute greatly to political discourse. Whether you are providing an opinion on Facebook, retweeting an interesting article, taking part in an on or off-campus debate, you are always contributing to the larger discussion which is immensely valuable.

As I discussed previously, the best way to get your voice out there is to vote. I cannot stress enough how important this is to ensure you are contributing to the bigger picture. But putting your vocal opinions out there can be just as valuable. Not only are you adding to a larger discussion, but also with the growth of social media and interconnectivity you are putting awareness out to your peers. Do not be afraid to voice what you have to say because you are just as much of a stakeholder in politics as anyone else.

In the world of politics you can never be too repetitive. I will take advantage of that by saying once again how important it is for you to put yourself out there. It is such a diverse topic with so many aspects that no matter your interest, there is a place for you in the discussion. Whether you like science and technology, social issues, the electoral process, or even media- these all come together when it comes to the politics. The degree of involvement is also so wide that whatever you are comfortable doing is always going to be a valuable addition. That said, I hope you were part of the conversation on October 19th.

Featured image courtesy of  Veronica Prokopovych