June 24, 2025
By Martin Kirbach

Against the backdrop of rising political polarisation and democratic backsliding in Europe, 15 young changemakers from Bulgaria, Croatia, and Germany gathered for the NECE Lab: Youth participation in democracy. Hosted by THE CIVICS Innovation Hub in cooperation with Sofia Platform Foundation, this three-day Lab (10–14 May 2025) empowered participants to design tangible tools for fostering democratic resilience in rural and peripheral regions. The Lab’s outcomes, an assortment of youth-led repositories of innovative solutions to strengthen youth participation in rural/peripheral regions, will be published in the months to come. The five project ideas/blueprints were also showcased at the 18th German Child and Youth Welfare Congress (DJHT) at the Leipzig Trade Fair during the last day of the Lab.

Bridging divides, building skills

The Lab addressed stark realities, from Bulgaria’s “civic deserts” and Croatia’s partisan patronage systems to Eastern Germany’s far-right strongholds. Through design-thinking methods and transnational teamwork, participants identified shared challenges, youth apathy, sparse civic infrastructure, and digital divides, and co-created tools rooted in local needs.

“Populism is a symptom of a democratic system no longer serving its people“, noted Emily Ahrens of KomREX, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, during her input. The Lab’s response? Concrete alternatives that make democracy accessible, visible, and cool for youth.

Highlights from the ‘Youth repository of rural solutions’

Votify app
A Tinder-style app simplifying democratic participation: swipe left/right to vote on local issues. Designed for both apolitical youth and policymakers, it turns passive observers into active voices.

Digital Democracy (D²) website
A Bulgarian platform combating civic illiteracy with learning resources, an opportunities calendar, and peer blogs, bridging the gap between information overload and meaningful engagement.

Guide to the 3rd Place
A blueprint for creating inclusive, youth-owned spaces in rural areas, where young people can “just exist without pressure” and ignite community-driven change.

Voices of Change
A student-led NGO network offering “Try-Out Days”, mentorship, and a digital hub to demystify civic action for rural youth like Amina, 16, who “has the will but not the way”.

FyouTURE ED
A virtual education programme enhancing youth democratic competencies, accessible everywhere.

From Leipzig to Europe: A call to action

The Lab underscored the urgency of reinvesting in rural youth ecosystems, from third spaces to digital literacy. And to put it in the words of one Lab participant: “Cohesion policy (especially the civic aspects of it) shouldn’t feel like a distant bureaucratic concept, it needs to become more tangible, especially for future generations.”.

Feel inspired by the blueprints of our NECE youngsters? Get in touch via nece-labs@thecivics.eu, and we can connect you.

*This NECE lab was curated by THE CIVICS Innovation Hub in partnership with Sofia Platform Foundation.

** NECE is financially supported by the German Federal Agency for Civic Education | bpb and led by THE CIVICS Innovation Hub.