Democracy gene: The next generation will know more than us and here’s why – Look

Meeting teenagers and young people every day at Klitschko Foundation projects, we at the foundation increasingly notice a huge difference between this generation and the previous one.

Modern Ukrainian youth have mastered a skill that not all adults have mastered – endurance. It is bitter that it was given to them at such a tragic price. However, both our observations and the latest sociological studies indicate that our future – in safe hands.

On the occasion of the Day of Democracy, which was celebrated on September 15, I want to share why we need to take even more care of the youth, what they are more resilient than us and what the future will be, that they will build it.

Young people have become different, and that’s good

For Ukrainian youth, democracy has become a part of the worldview, a vital necessity and a tool of struggle for the future. They do not wait for change – they create it themselves.

According to studies conducted by UNDP and the National Institute of Democracy in 2023, 95% of young Ukrainians firmly believe that the democratic path is the future of Ukraine. For them, democracy is not just a form of government, but an opportunity to build a society of equality, freedom and justice.

Despite the constant threat of war, 63% of young people maintain faith in a better future. They not only dream of restoring the country, but also actively participate in social processes. A survey by the International Republican Institute suggests that it is more 40% of teenagers are already involved in public initiatives and/or volunteer activities, which indicates their readiness to be not just observers, but initiators of change.

This generation goes beyond political ideals, turning freedom of speech and equality into concrete actions, trying to change the world around them.

That is why it is so important to give them tools that would strengthen their endurance and thirst for change. All the more so that our children have something to fight for, because Ukraine still ranks 91st out of 167 countries in the Democracy Index (according to Economist Intelligence Unit for 2023).

But not everything is so simple

Yes, our youth has definitely become less inert, more involved and resilient. However, challenges remain that they cannot overcome on their own.

Of course, first of all, we are talking about the security situation and the consequences of the war, such as destroyed infrastructure, power outages. This forces young people to look to the West – 36% of young people aged 16-35 plan to move in the next five years, of which 25% are considering moving abroad, but the vast majority of them want to return to Ukraine after the victory. This is what the latest “National Youth Survey” says.

Unfortunately, the Klitschko Foundation and other charitable foundations that care for children and adolescents cannot directly influence the reduction of these statistics. However, for now our mission is to guide and teach specific skills.

The experience of our fund has shown that one of the successful and popular projects among young people is Debate Camp — a place where young people gain knowledge and practical skills in the field of self-presentation, debating and communication. Teenagers learn not only to argue their opinion, but also to critically analyze information, which is an important tool in the face of disinformation. After all, today’s information war is no less important than military actions.

It is noteworthy that in the conditions of a full-scale invasion of the territory of our country, young people are becoming more socially active. Among the graduates of our programs, the number of their own projects has increased by approximately 40%. Teenagers come up with their own methods of fighting fakes (from chatbots to entire platforms), create innovative ideas in IT, develop youth programs for local authorities in their communities.

Although in some ways it has become more difficult to communicate with them. We often have to fight against the manifestations of clip consciousness, which is steadily formed by social networks and endless scrolling. That’s why we are happy to welcome young people to the Klitschko Foundation project teams – both to give them the opportunity to gain their first career experience, and to better understand today’s youth with their help.

Probably, I will emphasize one of the important conclusions – we should speak the language of the youth, and not demand that they understand us. After all, this is also one of the manifestations of democracy.

Supporting youth is an investment in the future

The generation that is teenagers today actually does not remember a peaceful Ukraine. They grew up in the conditions of war, which leaves its mark on their perception of reality. At the same time, they are forced to look for answers to questions about democracy in other countries, trying to transfer these models to our Ukrainian reality.

In our projects, we are faced with the fact that teenagers are often fascinated by Western models of democracy, because this is what they see through the media or social networks. But it is important that they understand: Ukrainian democracy is about how we build our state and society, taking into account our challenges and history.

Therefore, it is important for us to involve experts who have a Ukrainian context, but at the same time international experience, for projects to work with young people – for example, as embodied in the Democracy Hub project.

This allows teenagers to see how democratic models work in different countries and understand how these models can be adapted to the Ukrainian reality. It is important that young people understand: democracy is not static. It develops in response to the challenges of time, and each country finds its own way to improve it.

We understand that teenagers are not just “younger versions of adults”, they are a separate audience with their own vision and approach. Therefore, our projects not only form a sense of responsibility in them, but also make democracy attractive and understandable.

And more and more often in the feedback of our participants after programs like Democracy Hub, Debate Camp or Aspen Teens, we hear: “Now I know how to influence changes in my school/institute/community”, “I am starting my own project, it will help all Ukrainians”, “I want to be part of the reconstruction of our country”. And it’s not just motivating – it makes this young generation proud. Personally, I do not remember such a high level of activity and self-awareness among my generation.

Therefore, I urge everyone who has the opportunity to support projects for young people, invest in their development and help them become real leaders. All this is more timely than ever.