Turning anger into courage

Youth Lead the Change

“We encourage children and teenagers to get actively involved in decision-making processes and find out how their commitment can contribute to shaping politics,” says Clara Kallich, co-founder of Youth Lead the Change Germany (YLCG). “Grown-ups must create the necessary conditions for this. For true participation to be a success, financial resources should be made available for young people, too. Doing so puts them in a position to not only get a say but to make some real impact. It is only when they are granted this freedom and when their decisions are trusted that young people can feel that they truly get to participate,” Kallich explains.

This is why the non-profit organisation advocates for municipal youth budgets in Germany. This means that the young people of a town get their own budget that they can vote on in a democratic process. This allows them to contribute their own ideas and to get involved in shaping life in their town. “As an organisation, we specifically support and advise municipalities across Germany when it comes to developing and realising youth participation formats,” says Kallich. She adds that it is important for young people to learn how they can get involved in political processes, especially in a time in which democracies around the world are under pressure.

Radikale Töchter

“For Radikale Töchter freedom means that everyone has the opportunity to express themselves and to develop individually,” says Josephin Haardt, Managing Director of Radikale Töchter (German for “Radical Daughters”). The organisation has been promoting political participation of young people through performance art since 2019. Topics such as climate change and human rights are addressed in its workshops. “Creative and artistic freedom are at the core of our workshops. For us, this freedom means that there are no restrictions when it comes to the ways in which we express our thoughts and political believes through art, as provided for in the Basic Law,” says Haardt.

Radikale Töchter cooperates with schools, training organisations, vocational colleges, youth and cultural centres, political initiatives and businesses. The workshops are offered primarily in rural areas in Eastern Germany. “In our workshops, young people learn how to turn their political anger into courage and performance art,” Haardt explains. In this way, the organisation helps young people to find ways to get actively involved in their region's political scene.