The winner of the “Prize for Federalism 2021” is easyvote
In Basel, the jury of the National Conference voted with an overwhelming majority for the realized project of the Swiss Federation of Youth Parliaments
The “Prize for Federalism 2021”, which includes a reward of CHF 10,000, was presented to the easyvote team on the sidelines of the National Conference on Federalism in Basel.
The award was given to the easyvote project, which motivates young people between the ages of 18 and 25 to follow municipal, cantonal and federal politics and promotes their active participation.
The award was presented in the presence of the president of the ch Foundation, Pascal Broulis, although the actual ceremony was held remotely.
Patience, le nom des gagnants du Prix du #fédéralisme sera dévoilé vendredi à midi. 🤫🏆🇨🇭 #staytuned #countdown #andthewinneris #cohésion #entente #plurilinguisme https://t.co/Js1nw32IEO pic.twitter.com/IR4q9Rjcd7
— ch Stiftung | Fondation ch | Fondazione ch (@fondationCH) May 25, 2021
An idea from young people for young people (and for democracy)
easyvote convinced the jury because it starts with young people and is aimed at young people throughout the country. It disseminates clear information in four languages on various channels, particularly on social media.
In addition, it operates the “votenow” application, which provides information on issues on which votes are being cast or elections held at the cantonal or federal level, but also on the Swiss system in general, of which federalism is an essential element.
It is precisely federalism, with its three institutional levels, that offers citizens a wide range of opportunities to participate, whether they are voting on the construction of a school in their municipality, electing members of the cantonal government or expressing their opinion on amendments to the Federal Constitution.
“Prize for Federalism” 2021: finalists selected
More than 500 municipalities are already using the dedicated brochures
The project also disseminates information through brochures and at events. More than 500 municipalities are using easyvote brochures to inform young people who are voting for the first time.
The team is also responsible for the development of educational dossiers for schools.
Youth and multilingualism are always in the spotlight
“Your initiative convinced us because of its multilingual approach, but above all because of the content made with an accessible and modern language, that is, young – and if youth is a ‘defect’, let’s not forget that it corrects itself day by day. You also have the ability to help your audience find the optimal correspondence between their opinions and a theme,” highlighted Pascal Broulis, in his speech at the award ceremony.
Gülsha Adilji, the youngest of the jurors, expressed great appreciation for the project: “Young people of my generation are heavy clickers of ‘easyvote’. We consult it to inform ourselves about political issues, even after the age of 25. It gives us a solid knowledge base and allows us to discuss political issues among friends. In the end, that’s what motivates us to go out and vote.”
Locarno Film Festival President Marco Solari, the oldest member of the jury and already active in a Youth Parliament, emphasizes that the award is a strong signal to the new generation, in whom he has great confidence, especially in this particular pandemic period.
The “Basel Declaration” for the federalism of the future
A shortlist of eight finalists capable of absolute quality
The jury chose easyvote from a shortlist of eight finalists. In addition to highlighting the quality and variety of the fifty nominations submitted, the jury is particularly satisfied with the high number of multilingual nominations or of organisations active in the defence of minority languages, such as the Forum for Italian in Switzerland or the Swiss Youth Editions.
The call for applications for the 2022 edition of the prize, which is awarded annually, will be published in the autumn.
In Basel on 27-28 May the “Conference on Federalism”.
