Young Global Citizens with Ideas on Board

Grinning, Stephen and Ivan are standing in front of the Massif Central creative space in Frankfurt’s city center. Music is playing from the open double doors, and a group of young people are standing around a bar table at the entrance, deep in conversation. Stephen and Ivan are shooting a short video for Instagram: “I really hope that this is the start of something great,” Ivan beams, “we’ve established some really good friendships and connections and learned a lot.” Stephen nods and adds: “All the other young people have really given me renewed energy and inspiration to champion the voice of young people in Toronto and all around the world.” Stephen is a member of the Toronto Youth Cabinet, which advocates for the interests and opportunities for participation of young people in Toronto. He and 50 other young people came to Frankfurt this week to participate in the Global House of Young Voices Summit.

In addition to the Frankfurt delegation, delegates from 12 different partner cities - including Birmingham, Philadelphia, and Yokohama – have all traveled to Frankfurt. On May 13, 2024, In bright sunshine, organizers Tina Cramer and Stefan Kroll welcome the participants to Frankfurt's Paulskirche and get the delegates in the mood for the week ahead. In workshops and joint plenary sessions, they will discuss the challenges facing young people around the world.

The Global House of Young Voices Summit took place as part of the “Paulskirche Network”, on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Paulskirche in Frankfurt, where, from May 1848 onwards, the National Assembly met and adopted Germany’s first democratic constitution. This anniversary was not only an occasion to celebrate the history of democracy, but also to look to the future and ask: what will tomorrow’s democracy look like? How can young people help shape their own future?

Building the Global House Together

The participatory approach was at the heart of the Global House of Young Voices project. To make democracy and participation a tangible experience for young people, this international exchange on political issues was to be significantly shaped and planned by them.

In the run-up to the summit, virtual meetings were held in which the delegates contributed their own suggestions for topics and jointly developed the focus of the summit. “The planning process took place in constant consultation with the delegates: after each virtual meeting, we organized and implemented it in the planning team, and then fed it back to the delegates to get feedback,” explains project coordinator Tina Cramer.

The result was a substantive program for the joint week in Frankfurt that focused on the interests and perspectives of the delegates and complemented them with the expertise of the scholars. Eight thematic workshops – ranging from mental health in the digital age, the impact of climate change, and educational equity to the future of democracy and the rule of law – were introduced by experts and then worked on by participants in small groups. The various topics were relevant both in the young people's local contexts and on a global level. This interaction between local realities and global challenges became visible in the shared exchange.

What I would like to share from my workshop on education is that access to education depends on different factors. In the US, economic resources are super important, in Germany, for example, it's more about cultural capital. Most of the time you don't see other perspectives when debating ... sharing is enriching!

Alina, Leipzig

However, sharing knowledge was not the only goal. After the scientific input, the delegates were given time to shape the workshop based on their interests. This open structure allowed them to set their own priorities and discuss topics most important to them. “Our aim was to give the young people both background knowledge and a protected space to encourage them to work independently: Now you can take this space and turn it into your own,” says Tina Cramer, summarizing the concept.

Therefore, the Summit was not only focused on what was discussed, but also on how the delegates engaged with each other; after all, democratic practice thrives on discourse and the ability to engage with one another despite certain differences. However, the young delegates came from different cities, countries and political systems, bringing with them different cultural backgrounds and experiences. Additionally, the working language in the workshops and discussions was English – a foreign language for most participants. Listening, understanding and exchanging ideas under these circumstances was a major challenge. The delegates treated each other with sensitivity, met each other with openness, and were willing to change their respective perspectives. They were not afraid to discuss controversial issues, such as the different conditions for youth participation in different countries or the restrictions on democratic spaces in Hungary. On the last day of the summit, the young people presented the results and demands of the workshops to the Lord Mayor of Frankfurt, Mike Josef, in St. Paul’s Church.

The world would be a far more peaceful place, if we all just sat down and spoke. So I think this is the biggest thing that I take away: that diplomacy does work.

Ivan, Birmingham

The extensive program was framed by leisure activities to get to know the host city and each other better. A city tour and a boat trip on the Main River gave them the opportunity to explore Frankfurt. They also contributed from their own respective backgrounds: The delegates printed monuments of freedom like St. Paul’s Church from their cities of origin in a screen-printing workshop on bags and T-Shirts – such as the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall in Guanghzou, or the L.O.V.E. Monument in Milan. At the party at the Massif Central in downtown Frankfurt, the boys from Krakow provided the atmosphere by showing the group traditional Polish dances. The final highlight was a public panel discussion in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche on May 17, 2024. In front of more than 250 guests, including students from several Frankfurt schools, the delegates reported on their week-long exchange and discussed the concept of global citizenship. The event allowed the delegates to express their concerns and demands directly to a broad audience.

The final highlight was a public panel discussion in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche on May 17, 2024. In front of more than 250 guests, including students from several Frankfurt schools, the delegates reported on their week-long exchange and discussed the concept of global citizenship. The event allowed the delegates to express their concerns and demands directly to a broad audience.

Behind the Scenes: How to Plan a Summit?

But organizing the project was not just a matter of developing the content. First, the 51 delegates — aged 14 to 23 — and their chaperones from three different continents had to be brought to Frankfurt. Before that the project coordinators had to convince the partner cities and local youth organizations of the idea. “We had the advantage that the promotion of the city partnership was part of the strategic goals and that we could build on existing contacts in the city administration,” reports Tina Cramer. The partner cities and local youth work structures selected the delegations, which then met in joint virtual preparatory meetings from January 2024 to develop the content.

We talked about the importance of [...] accessible and factual information and politicians working with young people.

Laura, Toronto

However, the digital meetings were not without their challenges. Due to time differences between Asia, Europe and North America, school schedules and various other commitments of the young people, not all delegates were able to attend the same meeting. The solution: They were divided into groups based on time zones, and the same session was held three times. The coordinating team recorded the results of each meeting in a joint document and presented it to the next group. “Once we even missed each other by an hour because of changing to daylight saving time, which doesn't happen at the same time in Europe and North America," says Tina Cramer. “But it was also exciting for us to get to know the young people in their own contexts and where they come from.”

In terms of creating the content in a participatory manner, the expectations of the delegates turned out to be a balancing act. On the one hand, the coordination team had to constantly moderate between the goal of self-responsibility and co-determination of the young people and the desire for more guidance and content specifications. On the other hand, they also had to manage expectations. Although the goal of the Summit was to practice developing and formulating demands, these would not be politically binding or able to bring about immediate changes in their respective hometowns.

What Remains?

All the more important, therefore, that the young people agreed during the summit to draw up a joint strategy paper based on their demands. In this document, the delegates recorded the challenges and actions they had developed together during the summit. Upon their return to their respective partner cities, the final document was to serve as a framework for future political discussions and co-determination.

I was surprised and inspired that many countries have these youth councils that are active. In Yokohama we don’t have these kinds of programs. So when I go back, I hope I can spread this information that we as young people can actually make things happen and we can be the ones who change the world. And it might sound extreme, but we are responsible and it is our aim to make society better.

Sophia, Yokohama

In a world marked by multiple crises, global conflicts and growing authoritarian tendencies, the Global House of Young Voices demonstrates how important and effective dialogue between young people from different cultures and contexts can be. Listening to each other and being willing to change perspectives is an important cornerstone for open societies and global understanding. Stephen and Ivan will also return to Toronto and Birmingham strengthened by their experiences in Frankfurt. The exchange with young people from all over the world, the honest discussions about problems that affect them in their daily lives, and the experience of talking with like-minded people and being listened to seriously motivate them to continue their involvement: “I know that the world can seem to be a quite divided place, but this opportunity has really proven that there is much more that unites us rather than things that divide us,” says Ivan. (hfr)