Youth organisations in discussion with the Committee on Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

At the invitation of committee chairwoman Saskia Esken, representatives of numerous youth organisations discussed current challenges and necessary political decisions with members of the Bundestag. Esken emphasised: "Youth associations are important actors in civil society. Reliable participation of young people in political decision-making processes is of central importance for our community and our democracy."

In the first thematic block, the youth associations emphasised the importance of the KJP as central structural funding. Without reliable dynamisation, there was a real threat of cuts due to inflation and pay rises. Adequate funding is necessary in order to finance qualified full-time staff to support and relieve the burden on volunteers. Volunteering should not have to compensate for the structural tasks of full-time positions. This is the only way to sustainably strengthen young people's commitment.

Other key topics included child and youth work in rural areas, mental health and loneliness as well as child and youth poverty. The representatives of the youth associations made it clear that youth associations are places of self-organisation and therefore "workshops of democracy". They provide prevention, strengthen resilience and open up opportunities for participation - especially where infrastructural disadvantages or poverty characterise the lives of young people. Structural solutions are needed to secure reliable extracurricular educational, cultural and leisure activities in the long term.

The discussion was moderated by Daniela Broda and Wendelin Haag, Chairwomen of the Federal Youth Council, and was attended by representatives of the German Wind Youth, the Federal Youth Organisation of the AWO, JEF Germany, the Youth of the German Alpine Association, the German Choral Youth, the Nature Conservation Youth in NABU, the Working Group of Protestant Youth, the Friends of Nature Youth Germany, LAMBDA and the Federation of Alevi Youth. The Federal Youth Council welcomes the fact that the dialogue format is to be continued.