Young voices at the digital summit: Design demands for the future

In a tension-charged exchange between the young generation and politics, it became clear during the digital summit in Frankfurt: the voices of the youth are loud and clear! The participants of the Common Grounds Forum (CGF) project, all between 16 and 30 years old, have not only revolutionized the processes of the event in the past two days, but also presented their pressing demands to those responsible in politics.

over the digital summit

During the colorful and revealing discussions, the young people bravely took the stage in order to confront Federal Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger directly with their concerns. Felix Preu, an emerging student at Heidelberg University, summed it up: "At school we learn to write discussions as if we were still sending letters to printed daily newspapers regularly." He embodied the feeling of many young people - the need for education that is not only theoretically but also practically tailored to the modern communication channels.

The demands of the future

The core concerns are as diverse as the participants themselves! The young talents have formulated a total of 17 demands, all focused on the topic of "Future Skills for Active Citizens". A central point is the training of debate and communication skills in schools. Because where others are still staring, these young heads have grasped the pulse of the times and know that the dialogue takes place digitally today.

Frithjof Nagel, project manager of the CGF, emphasized that it is time to see young people as experts and not just as spectators: "They bring in valuable perspectives and should be actively involved in decision -making processes."

Another important topic that has been addressed is mental health. Anna Padyukova, a committed student from Potsdam, emphasized how digital trends such as the "5am Club" can generate enormous pressure and that an open dialogue about mental challenges is necessary to support students. "We need information material, contact persons and, above all, openness to talk about the topic without taboos," she explained with emphasis.

The demands and discussions of the CGF are not just whispering in the wind. This commitment is a sign of change and shows that the young generation is willing to proactively participate in the design of its future. On the website www.comon-grounds-forum.org there are all details about the claims presented.

The entire panel discussion with Bettina Stark-Watzinger can be viewed on YouTube (Timecode: 03:10:05): Digital-kfel 2024 .