Veli-Valtteri Lehtonen

Image Veli-Valtteri Lehtonen - Democracy International
Function
Project Coordinator
Email
lehtonen@democracy-international.org
Organisation
Democracy International
Summary
As Project coordinator, Veli contributes to Democracy International’s work on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) through the ECI Forum, where he develops consultation formats and conducts stakeholder needs assessments to support the continuous improvement of the Initiative’s support structures.
Biography

Veli studied Political Science at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. In 2023, he co-founded the Student Network on Future Democracy, an international network of university students dedicated to democracy education. Within the network, he serves as Lead Coordinator, overseeing events and projects. He is also a founding member and Chair of Future Demo ry, a Finnish NGO hosting the network.
 

After completing an internship at Democracy International e.V., where he worked on the ECI, he joined the organisation in 2025 as Project Coordinator, continuing his work related to the instrument.
 

Responsibilities

  • Designing consultations under the ECI Forum
  • Conducting stakeholder needs assessments and contributing to stakeholder mapping related to the ECI
  • Developing educational and guidance materials for ECI stakeholders
  • Supporting interns and volunteers working on European democracy projects
Quote
Participatory democracy is a system in which ordinary citizens take part in education, discussion, debate, and decision-making. Democracy should be approached as a responsibility to be taken as seriously as work — not merely as a leisure-time activity.”