5. Participation
Youth participation is a guiding principle in the implementation of the youth strategy of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend, BMFSFJ). The development of a youth check (Jugend-Check) as a central element of the BMFSFJ's youth strategy was implemented by BMFSFJ together with the youth organisations and with input from other civil society stakeholders. The youth check serves to review proposed federal policies to ensure they are in line with the interests and concerns of the younger generation and to raise awareness of the need to consider young people and what is important to them. Another one of the main projects of the youth strategy is the online participation platform jugend.beteiligen.jetzt.
See also National Strategy to Increase Youth Participation.
One important issue is to raise awareness on democratic rights and values among young people. There is a great variety of programmes, initiatives and projects supporting the civic education of young people and more participation in elections. Further information on these programmes and initiatives can be found in the section Raising political awareness among young people.
Additional information from the federal states on the topic of participation is available in German at youthwiki.de.