Ines Saltiel

Ines Saltiel is a Curriculum Research Assistant with the Democratic Erosion Consortium and a first-year undergraduate at Brown University. A passionate advocate for strengthening democracy through youth participation since age 14, she founded Teens for Democracy to bridge the gap between young people and decision-makers.

She also serves on the Leadership Council of the Democracy and Culture Foundation, working alongside Nobel laureates, activists, artists, and political leaders to reinforce democratic processes worldwide. An experienced speaker and panel moderator, Ines has engaged with audiences at both national and international events, including the Athens Democracy Forum.

Ines’s original research, titled “From Schoolyards to Government: A Comparative Analysis of the Positive Effect of Teenager Participation in Local Governance,” was published in MDPI’s Social Sciences journal, a project she developed during her fellowship at the University of Peloponnese.

Ines believes that art brings pathos to the world of politics. This led her to direct and create a video-art film showcasing stories of displacement from her family history and refugee women from the network “Melissa” through contemporary dance and storytelling.