As democratic backsliding accelerates across Europe and globally, youth workers, policy makers and researchers met in Strasbourg from 3 to 5 December to strengthen democracy, its young defender and activists. The international conference “Democracy in Action : Youth Work Matters!” was organised by the International Youth Service of the Federal Republic of Germany (IJAB), in co-operation with the Youth Department of the Council of Europe. It brought together 80 participants around 3 main objectives: catching up with reality, creating solidarity and taking action.

 Opening the conference, Uwe Finke-Timpe, Head of Division at the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth stressed the timeliness of the event: “We are witnessing increasing polarisation, widespread disinformation, and even open attacks on democratic institutions.”

 The reality behind these concerns was laid out by the V-Dem Institute. In 2004, 49% of people lived in autocracies. Today that figure has risen to 72%. Presenting data drawn from 31 million data points, Professor Staffan I. Lindberg notably warned of a steep decline in freedom of expression worldwide.

For participants, this isn’t just theory. It’s daily life. That was the message from Sean Currie, Advisory Council on Youth: “Democracy cannot function without choosing to engage with it in our daily lives, in politics and in spaces like the Council of Europe.”

 Throughout the programme, another idea kept resurfacing: youth work is not a side activity, it is a vital democratic infrastructure. Miriam Teuma, Chair of the European Steering Committee for Youth, captured this: “International youth work replaces fear with understanding, nationalism with co-operation, and isolation with solidarity.”

The three-day conference features inspiring practices from organisations across Türkiye, Denmark, Belarus, Morocco, Hungary, Germany, Portugal and Tunisia. Through working groups and the “Seeds for Democracy” session, participants explore how to empower young people to engage, strengthen youth workers' skills, and support organisations in advocating for systemic change.

The conference contributes to the New Democratic Pact for Europe and its proposals will be thoroughly considered in the conception phase, highlighted  Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy of the Council of Europe.

 For more information:

• Democracy in Action: Youth Work Matters !
• IJAB
• New Democratic Pact for Europe