Empowering young voices for democracy

With “LOS jetzt!”, we bring together young people from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria who have already participated in citizen assemblies. Together, they develop concrete ideas for how lottery-based participation formats – such as role-playing games, guides, or video testimonials – can also be applied at the local level. The goal is to make the lottery process more visible, strengthen youth political participation, and inspire decision-makers to implement innovative forms of youth engagement. The project sees itself as an international learning and impact community of young democrats.

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Tools for more participation

From workshops with former participants of the Future Council U24 (CH), the School Council Brandis (DE), and the Youth Council Vorarlberg (AT), three practical formats emerged: A “Citizen Assembly Game” brings the experience of a citizen assembly to life for youth and adults – also in schools. A video series of testimonials addresses local decision-makers directly. And a concise guide provides municipalities with concrete steps for implementing lottery-based participation. The three products complement each other in digital and analog formats and will be presented at events in all three countries by the end of 2025.