The audio file with the transcript is also available HERE

Youth organisations experience a shrinking space for civil society in a variety of ways and on many different levels. Space can start to shrink when governments see civil society as a threat. As a result, they employ tactics to discredit and weaken them, thereby shrinking the space in which they can work.

In this episode, we are discussing how the space for civil society is changing, particularly for young people. We also reflect on the most recent developments impacting this change (e.g. digitalisation, COVID-19), how young people are engaging with these changes and what can be done on different levels to address this trend. 

Guests:

Andreas Hirsch is an Advisor on European Youth Policy at JUGEND für Europa, the German National Agency of Erasmus+: Youth in Action and European Solidarity Corps. He has also worked several years with a European civil society youth organisation advocating for topics ranging from gender equality to sustainability to mental health of young people.  

Leonie Martin is a member of the Advisory Council on Youth at the Council of Europe, a body of 30 youth representatives who advise the Committee of Ministers on decisions relating to youth. Together with others, she works on the issue of shrinking civic youth space. She is furthermore President of the non-partisan youth NGO Young European Federalists, called JEF, which is active in more than 30 countries, organising activities and advocating on issues of European democracy and citizenship.

Hosts: Dariusz Grzemny and Lana Pasic. 

Enjoy listening!

If you want to read more about the topic, visit the dedicated website of the Youth Department of the Council of Europe HERE and stay tuned for our literature review which will be available soon.

Have a look at this material on shrinking youth space: YOUTH IN EUROPE: OFFENBURG TALKS #4 : SHRINKING SPACES FOR YOUTH WORK!? – CHALLENGES FOR POST-DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES: Videos of all talks , Programme Reader