Young people in the district are demanding more say in democracy!

Young people in the district are demanding more say in democracy!

In a lively exchange last Tuesday, over 40 actors from various areas came together to discuss the importance of youth participation in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district. At the opening event of the Partnership for Democracy and the Youth Education Center, the focus was on strengthening the voice of young people. The event was opened by First District Councilor Dirk Noll, who emphasized the necessary exchange as the key to youth participation in rural areas. Together with Daniela Langgut from the Partnership for Democracy, the need for comprehensive cooperation to consolidate the participation of young people was emphasized.

The participants came from different areas of youth work, including two mayors, which underlines the importance of the topic. Leah Koch from the Youth Education Center and Scheerin Alou from the Adam von Trott Foundation took over the content of the event. At the beginning, those present were asked to make existing participation formats visible on maps in order to improve the clarity of the structures. Keynote speeches, including by Prof. Dr. Umut Akkus from the Fulda University of Applied Sciences and Lena Groß-Trautmann from the Youth Participation Service Center provided interesting insights and motivation for further discussion.

Legal basis for child and youth participation

But why is it so important for children and young people to have a say? Hef-rof declares that the participation of children and young people is a fundamental right. In the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 12, children are given the right to express their opinions freely and to be heard on matters that concern them. These principles are continued in various legal frameworks, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as the Basic Law, the Hessian Constitution and specific regulations in the Hessian Child and Youth Welfare Act.

A central goal of these legal provisions is to promote the participation of young people at community and district level. According to the Hessian municipal regulations and the Hessian district regulations, municipalities and districts are obliged to include children and young people in relevant planning processes. Initiatives such as the “Hessen Prevention Chains” and the “Partnership for Democracy” are helping to make young people’s voices louder.

The path to a youth forum

As part of the discussion, the concept of a youth forum was brought into play, which would offer young people a platform to express their interests and ideas. This should not only help strengthen their voice in democratic processes, but also promote their positive experiences with informal and non-formal learning in their free time.

The event ended with an intensive discussion about the challenges facing rural areas, but also about which actors are necessary to establish youth participation sustainably. The creation of a youth forum could therefore represent a decisive step in the right direction. It's good that the exchange about the concerns of the young generation is about so much more than just words - the future is being shaped here!