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Learning Publication for the Future Council U24

Learning Publication for the Future Council U24

The Future Council U24 was the world’s first national citizen assembly for young people. 80 randomly selected young people developed recommendations on mental health. In this publication, we reflect on the pilot project, share our learnings, and discuss the potential of deliberative youth participation in Switzerland.
The Future Council U24 was the world’s first national citizen assembly for young people. 80 randomly selected young people developed recommendations on mental health. In this publication, we reflect on the pilot project, share our learnings, and discuss the potential of deliberative youth participation in Switzerland.
The Future Council U24 was the world’s first national citizen assembly for young people. 80 randomly selected young people developed recommendations on mental health. In this publication, we reflect on the pilot project, share our learnings, and discuss the potential of deliberative youth participation in Switzerland.
The Future Council U24 was the first national citizen assembly for 16- to 24-year-olds. 80 randomly selected young people developed recommendations on mental health, thus strengthening their political participation.
The Future Council U24 was the first national citizen assembly for 16- to 24-year-olds. 80 randomly selected young people developed recommendations on mental health, thus strengthening their political participation.
The Future Council U24 was the first national citizen assembly for 16- to 24-year-olds. 80 randomly selected young people developed recommendations on mental health, thus strengthening their political participation.

A prototype for the democracy of the future

The publication documents the entire process of the Future Council U24 – from the initial idea through implementation to the handover of recommendations to policymakers. It illustrates how a sortition-based citizen assembly can involve young people aged 16 to 24 in political decision-making. Based on a scientific evaluation, the report highlights the impact on participants, the public, and institutions. At the same time, it discusses key learnings: What is needed for deliberative formats like citizen assemblies to have a lasting effect?

What we learned – and how it continues

Key insights from the project emphasize the importance of early political integration, reliable standards, and strong alliances with civil society partners. The publication outlines challenges, potential, and specific recommendations for future youth participation formats. Two new initiatives emerged from the project: the alumni initiative LOS jetzt, promoting local youth engagement, and the “Zukunftsrat Zentrum”, which continues the work on mental health recommendations. The Future Council U24 was an experiment—now it needs structures to turn it into institutional innovation.

The Learning Publication can be ordered in print under this link.

Partnerships

This project was implemented in collaboration with the following partners:
Mercator
The Mercator Switzerland Foundation supports and co-publishes the “Polarisation in Switzerland” study series and supports the projects “Companies for Democracy”, “Zukunftsrat U24” and its follow-up project.
Mercator
The Mercator Switzerland Foundation supports and co-publishes the “Polarisation in Switzerland” study series and supports the projects “Companies for Democracy”, “Zukunftsrat U24” and its follow-up project.
Mercator
The Mercator Switzerland Foundation supports and co-publishes the “Polarisation in Switzerland” study series and supports the projects “Companies for Democracy”, “Zukunftsrat U24” and its follow-up project.

Funding partnerships

Finanzierungs-partnerschaften

For the implementation of this project, we were able to count on the financial support of the following partners:
Mercator
The Mercator Switzerland Foundation supports and co-publishes the “Polarisation in Switzerland” study series and supports the projects “Companies for Democracy”, “Zukunftsrat U24” and its follow-up project.
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