A strong democracy needs the voices and commitment of young people. But the figures show that many young people in Germany are politically invisible. A study by the international initiative More in Common shows that almost half (45%) of 18–29-year-olds are less advocating for democracy than others and are often disappointed by democratic institutions. The participation of the young generation in the 2017 federal election in Germany was nine percentage points below the average (76.2%) in some age groups.
How is our democracy supposed to survive in the long term if so many young people see no advantage in standing up for it?
In order to strengthen the democratic participation of young people with innovative approaches before the federal election in 2021 and beyond, the Alfred Landecker Foundation is funding the UNMUTE NOW program by the non-profit organization ProjectTogether. UNMUTE NOW aims to make young voices heard now.
The program is based on Open Social Innovation - a method that relies on a broad participation process (Open) in order to tackle social challenges (Social) with new solutions (Innovation). The focus is on the parallel testing of numerous solutions in order to quickly find out what works and what doesn't.
UNMUTE NOW focuses on ideas that encourage young and underrepresented people to get involved in political and democratic processes. From new communication formats or tools to collaborations and events - proven approaches will be implemented and consolidated.
As a trailblazer for social progress, ProjectTogether develops innovation platforms to solve social challenges. The non-profit organization creates bottom-up problem-solving processes with broad citizen participation. Since 2015, ProjectTogether has supported 1,000+ social initiatives in seven thematic programs.
As the exclusive funding partner, the Alfred Landecker Foundation will support the UNMUTE NOW program by ProjectTogether with a volume of 3.1 million Euros.