Democracy Is Not a Nice-to-Have

The second day brought the broader democratic framework back into concrete professional practice. Workshops showed where international youth work currently stands – and where it needs to grow.

Democracy in the digital space: AI, polarisation, radicalisation

From the outset, there was a broad consensus from the very beginning that democracy promotion now also extends into algorithm-driven spaces.

A workshop on artificial intelligence and extremism examined how recommendation algorithms reinforce polarisation, how extremist actors strategically exploit AI and why young people are particularly targeted. The discussion moved beyond media literacy and towards democratic resilience in digital spaces. With tools such as the “hate compass”, participants explored specific counter-strategies.

Education for democracy in this context means understanding digital dynamics, and learning how to respond to them pedagogically.

Polarisation, migration, facts – holding your ground in arguments

Several workshops examined the subject of growing societal polarisation.

In the workshop “‘We’ and ‘the Others’”, participants worked with opinion lines, fact-checking and argumentation exercises. The goal was not moral superiority, but fact-based confidence in discussions.

The IJAB workshop on the argumentation toolkit built on this theme: How do we speak convincingly about international youth work – to policymakers, administrations or sceptical colleagues?

The conclusion was simple: democracy needs language. And language needs practice.

Dare to debate – democratically

The “Dare to Debate!” workshop returned to a question already raised in the Peer Café: Are we still capable of constructive disagreement? The workshop addressed not only why avoiding conflict can endanger democracy, but also when conflict becomes destructive. Argumentation techniques, dilemma-based approaches and rules for democratic debate were tested in practice. In this context, education for democracy was understood as the capacity to tolerate tension without losing oneself in it.

Attitudes, values and reflection skills

A further focus was the professional role of practitioners themselves. A training course on the teaching of values explored “resilience muscles”: How do I reflect on my own values? How do I design programmes that invite discussion without sliding into indoctrination? Education for democracy begins with self-reflection.

Allyship, privilege and trauma-sensitive approaches

Workshops on allyship and trauma-sensitive education for democracy broadened the perspective: democratic participation is not unconditional. Privilege, experiences of discrimination, displacement and trauma all shape opportunities for engagement. In international exchanges, very different experiences of burden come together. Education for democracy must take these realities into account – not only in content, but also in methods.

Poverty as a structural barrier to participation

“Poverty in the Suitcase” addressed a topic rarely linked so explicitly to international youth work: the structural effects of poverty. International experiences often fail not because of lack of interest, but because of financial, organisational and psychosocial barriers. The discussion concluded that education for democracy must also remove access barriers – otherwise it remains selective.

Across all workshops, a common theme emerged: education for democracy is not only about values. It involves analysis, argumentation, conflict competence, digital literacy, inclusion – and structural justice.

Across both days, a coherent picture took shape: international youth work is not an add-on service. It is a foundational part of keeping democracy alive:

• It creates spaces for encounters beyond national boundaries.
• It strengthens young people’s capacity for action.
• It connects local activities with European and international perspectives.
• It enables negotiation – even where social tensions run high. 

In times of increasing polarisation, this infrastructure becomes even more important. One comment from the discussion captured it well: “Education for democracy is no longer a nice-to-have.”

Looking Ahead: Staying Engaged, Connecting, Developing Further

At the close of the conference, IJAB and JUGEND für Europa looked to the year ahead. 2026 will see renewed discussion about programmatic principles – including in the context of “skills” and “preparedness”.

At the same time, concrete initiatives are planned: follow-up projects such as Democracy in Action, the development of qualification programmes, recommendations from the European Youth Work Agenda, international conferences and new networking formats. 

But beyond individual events, one overarching message remained:

• Build alliances.
• Make democratic practice visible.
• Do not become defensive. 

Or, as one participant put it: “What we do is essential to democracy.”

The discussion about democratic youth work did not end with this conference – it is only beginning. We will meet again at the next “Professionals in the Spotlight” conference on 17 and 18 February 2027.