BGL youth advisory board on Vienna trip: Education for a strong Europe!

BGL youth advisory board on Vienna trip: Education for a strong Europe!

eight young people from the youth advisory board BGL went on an exciting educational trip to Vienna in order to deal more intensively with the topic of political education. The group, consisting of young people aged twelve to sixteen, started their program with a lecture at the renowned University of Vienna. There they experienced scientific approaches to democracy education and actively dealt with the basics of democracy. An important goal of this trip was to sensitize the young people to the importance of political participation. It becomes clear that democracy education in schools and beyond is essential to prepare young people for an active role in society, as the [German school portal] (https://deutsches-schulportal.de/schulkultur/emocracy- Paedagogik- Democracy ---und-schule-beltz/) emphasized.

The cultural experiences were not neglected on the city tour through Vienna: the young people visited the Vienna town hall, the parliament and the votive church to learn more about Austrian history and the development of democracy. Such excursions promote understanding of the political landscape and the importance of democratic processes. Berchtesgadener Land, the starting point of this trip, is described as a border district that actively supports the idea of ​​a united Europe. Another exciting item on the program was to visit a youth theater, where there was a performance on the subject of bullying, which stimulated heated discussions among the participants.

democracy formation: an important foundation

As the experiences from Vienna show, democracy education begins in early childhood, and continues in schools, where it is particularly important to counter polarizations and disinformation. At school, the children and adolescents learn not only the basics of political participation, but also how important it is to actively work for their rights and interests. These aspects of democracy formation were also discussed in the 1970s when the school's political socialization function increasingly focused on and new educational approaches such as the comprehensive school were established in order to meet a wider spectrum of students, like this Bildungserver.

The accommodation of the tour group in the "Magdas" hotel, a socially committed project by Caritas for refugee people, emphasizes the social commitment of the youth advisory board. Various generations and backgrounds meet here, which illustrates the next program highlight: a visit to the multi-generation café full board. These encounters should give young people impulses on social participation and cross -generational learning. The youth advisory board BGL follows the motto "From us - for us!" And is actively involved in the design of youth work in the district, including through the optimization of the digital platform BGL360grad.de.

A look into the future

The return to the district of Berchtesgadener Land was associated with new impressions and a strengthened sense of community for the young people. The youth advisory board BGL, which consists entirely of young people and acts as a self -organized body, is an excellent example of how young people can actively participate in the design of their future. The challenges aimed at the education system, such as the demand for more participation by the students, also remain relevant. The continuous exchange with other youth organizations and the role as a contact for the same age are essential components of the work of the youth advisory board.