Democracy in Practice is an interactive youth education project designed to strengthen democratic awareness, active participation, and civic responsibility among young people through non-formal and experiential learning. The project responds to the need for meaningful youth engagement by making democratic processes practical, accessible, and closely connected to young people’s everyday lives.
The project is based on experiential learning and active participation. A core activity is a governance simulation, where participants work in groups representing different decision-making systems: democracy, dictatorship, oligarchy, and anarchy. Each group creates a fictional “state” by choosing a name, designing a flag, and setting rules according to its assigned system. Through this exercise, participants experience how power distribution, inclusion, and participation influence fairness, efficiency, and group dynamics.
A key focus of the project is contemporary democracy. Participants explore how representative democracy functions today and learn about practical mechanisms for civic participation, such as elections and participatory budgeting. Democratic values, freedom, equality, respect, solidarity, and responsibility, are integrated throughout the activities, encouraging empathy, dialogue, and respect for diverse perspectives.
In the second phase, participants are divided into two parallel tracks. One half develops community or school improvement ideas through a participatory budgeting exercise, while the other half takes part in a simulated school election, forming political parties, defining values, creating programmes, and preparing campaign speeches.
In the final stage, all participants gather in a joint plenary session to present their proposals and programmes and vote in both processes. Through simulations, reflection, and shared decision-making, Democracy in Practice empowers young people with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to actively participate in democratic life.