DEMOCRACY THRIVES WHEN FRICTION IS AT ITS GREATEST. Lisa Mastiaux & Ruszlan Biwoino With democracy under attack and declining around the world, we decided to dedicate ourselves to the resilience of democratic societies and the creation of a strong community of values. Before the devastating developments of 2022, already less than half of the world's population lived in a somewhat democratic environment, whereas only 6.4% enjoyed the advantages of a “full democracy”. Thus, societies and governments of the G7 are continuously challenged to consider how to realise the idea of democracy for everyone — inside as well outside of the Western hemisphere. However, while we all acknowledge the advan- tages of democracy, substantive differences became apparent in the shape of varied perspec- tives and circumstances from every Youth7 Delega- tion. The following focus areas served as a basis for the subsequent drafting of recommendations based on shared values and needs: 1. “Education in the Digital Area” 2. “Safeguarding & Strengthening Open Societies” 3. “Reshaping Democracy for 21st Century Citizen- ship”. In order to propose universal solutions that meet a complex and multifaceted reality, we sharpened and adapted all three focus areas according to the situation in each G7 member and partner country. Despite the differing views, our debates – some of which continued into the night – were constructive and respectful. All representatives worked hard to show the leaders that young people can come up with strong and effective solutions to tackle current world problems. As one of our Delegates rightfully stated, “Democracy thrives when friction is at its greatest.” Thus, the best solutions emerge when and only when the exchange of opinions takes place under free and democratic conditions.
High-quality education and global educational equity are key to achieving an encompassing democracy. Education means equipping people with the tools necessary to find solutions for the world’s most pressing issues. As Youth7, we want education to unfold its power and to build a solid foundation for democracy. As advocates for education, Track 3 speaks out on reshaping the educational system to equip citi- zens with skills to address challenges caused by digital disruption, including disinformation, digital threats, and ethical challenges. This should be achieved by incentivising youth participation and critical thinking from an early age, equipping young people with the tools to recognise threats, the ability to access and analyse messages in social and mass media, and to adapt to evolving soci- eties to improve access to quality education. High-quality education and global educational equity are key to achieving an encompassing democracy. Open societies are crucial in strengthening our structures and values. The world is continuously confronted with anti-democratic tendencies; thus, the essential questions are how to strengthen civil spaces and human rights, how to safeguard freedom of expression and the press as well as the integrity of information, and how to consider the implications of an ever more digital life to create a truly inclusive society. As expressed in our recommendations, the Dele- gates call for open societies to be strengthened and safeguarded by creating mechanisms that combat emerging threats to democratic institu- tions, increase transparency of social media plat- forms, and protect civil society’s ability to engage in advocacy, especially for marginalised groups.
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