Democracy through participation: A look back at the DJHT 2025 in Leipzig!

Democracy through participation: A look back at the DJHT 2025 in Leipzig!

The 18th German Child and Youth Welfare Day (DJHT) took place in Leipzig from May 13th to 15th and brought together over 30,000 visitors. Under the motto “Because it’s all about: realizing democracy through participation!” The congress took place in an atmosphere of dialogue and discussion of current specialist topics in child and youth welfare. The event, which is held every four years, enabled participants to gain comprehensive insights into developments in the child and youth welfare landscape. uni-rostock.de reports about the variety of topics covered in 300 lectures, workshops and project presentations.

Students from the Master's program in Education and Educational Science at the University of Rostock took part in this important event together with Professor Vicki Täubig. Their participation was perceived as a valuable addition to the studies, especially the contact with experts in various areas of child and youth welfare. Professor Täubig was also involved in drafting the political guidance paper for the DJHT, which underlines how important it is to combine theory and practice in this area.

Diverse topics and challenges

A central concern of the DJHT was the discussion about political education and the influence of technologies such as artificial intelligence in child and youth welfare. These topics are particularly relevant today, when young people are increasingly immersed in digital worlds. The aspects discussed also included media protection and dealing with allegations of sexual violence in daycare centers. Such topics required courage and empathy, qualities that the students also emphasized.

A socio-political forum addressed a new intergenerational contract, highlighting the need to promote intergenerational dialogue. The participants' exchange about the strength and courage of children and young people who are actively committed to their participation and future was another highlight of the event.

Linking youth work and political education

The role of youth work in political education was also emphasized. Loud transfer-politik-bildung.de Youth work is a central field of pedagogical practice based on SGB VIII, § 11. Voluntariness and the focus on the interests of young people are characteristic of this field. The dossier on political education and youth work highlights how important it is to integrate democracy education into various fields of practice.

Current research projects, for example those of Dr. Helle Becker, deal intensively with the topics of democracy education and participatory memory education. These aspects promote the development of willpower, courage and genuine interest, which are essential for the future of young people. Qualified support in these areas helps to strengthen the connection between theory and actual engagement in youth work.

Overall, the DJHT shows how important networking and exchange between different actors in child and youth welfare are. The stimulating discussions and the diverse workshops helped to provide new impetus for future challenges in youth work and political education.

Further information is available on the German Youth Institute website dji.de.