PLENARY SESSIONS The participants’ engagement in their individual workshop groups and the joint activities were complemented by nuanced plenary sessions, establishing a common basis and stirring discussions regarding conceptions of war, peace and democracy. Many participants used these opportunities to speak their minds or to raise aware- ness for underlying problems or ongoing situations with these concepts either in their country, community or private sphere.
One of these workshops addressed the topic of „Shrinking Spaces: Youth Structures Under Pres- sure“. a phenomenon describing deliberate state measures aimed at silencing critical voices, weak- ening independent organisations and obstructing democratic participation, or other developments with the same effect. Conducted by the German Federal Youth Council (DBJR), participants discussed the phenomenon of shrinking spaces for youth organisations, focusing on threats to democracy and the growing restrictions on civic engagement. Addressed issues included a lack of recognition, challenges to legitimacy, funding cuts, right-wing attacks, and legal persecution of activists and organisations. At the same time, the situation of many youth associations reflects how societies address the needs and interests of young people. In some European countries, youth policy is either absent or applied inconsistently. This lack of reli- able structures undermines democratic partic-
ipation and independent youth representation. Thus, it soon became clear that the extent to which participants were affected differed greatly, leading some to reconsider their own perspec- tives on these developments. In a modified World-Café format, participants engaged in six thematic discussions covering personal experiences of pressure and support, observed developments in peer and partner organisations, and strategies to strengthen resil- ience, increase visibility, and mobilise resources. They further addressed concrete demands to politics and society, explored the role of the EU and multilateral organisations in safeguarding youth structures, and used an open space to raise additional issues of concern. Across the discussions, participants developed strategies for strengthening organisational resilience as well as key demands for decision-makers. Among the central points were the need for adequate and sustainable funding of youth work, the reduction
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