Sow Democracy Through Youth Work

The conference Democracy in Action: Youth Work Matters! came timely. In the last twenty years, the number of democracies in the world has been decreasing. For the first time in over a century, we must confront the possibility that today’s young people may not experience a future that is more democratic or freer than the one their parents knew. This development negatively affects civil society, which is where most youth work takes place and where young people are expected to begin engaging in social and political life. This gloomy perspective was taken as a call to action by IJAB – International Youth Service of the Federal Republic of Germany. In cooperation with the Council of Europe, IJAB hosted a conference for representatives of youth work from Europe and beyond in December 2025 and put youth work and democracy centre stage.