Description

The Council of Europe recognizes the 'considerable potential and therefore fundamental role' that young people play in promoting the values of the Council of Europe. Democracy has been particularly challenged in recent years due to the rise of populism and demotatorism, fake news, the shrinking space for civil society, and, more recently, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. All of this contributes to a climate where young people are afraid of punishment when exercising their freedom of expression and, at the same time, 'demonstrate a high level of political interest but a low level of engagement in essential democratic processes.' Concerns about the health of democracies in Europe have been consistently raised, particularly in light of the successive and multifaceted crises that undermine the outlook for growing trust in the future. The war in Ukraine worsened the sense of crisis and the need to act to preserve democracy and peace.

DEMOCRACY HERE | DEMOCRACY NOW is a youth campaign by the Council of Europe aimed at revitalizing democracy and strengthening mutual trust between young people, citizens, institutions, and democratic processes. The campaign focuses on access to human rights, meaningful youth participation, and the impact of digitalization as factors of democratization.

The campaign is based on activities carried out with young people and youth organizations at the local, national, and international levels, supported by national contact points and European partners. These activities are supported and connected by the Council of Europe; the results and proposals from young people will be organized and integrated into a call for action. The campaign is democratic: young people and their organizations explore the theme of revitalizing democracy and make proposals to translate policies and programs at the level of the Council of Europe.