Young people in dialogue: insights into the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament!

Young people in dialogue: insights into the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament!

On March 10, 2025, 21 students of the advanced course of the IGS Sophie Sondelm from Bad Kreuznach attended the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament in Mainz. The visit was organized by the member of the state parliament Michael Simon, who plays an essential role in promoting political education for young people. The group initially received a comprehensive introduction to the processes of the plenary sessions, followed by a conversation with Simon, in which current political issues were discussed.

The conversation was about the political participation of young people, public transport connections, the equipment of schools, municipal climate protection, the state of democracy and the procedure against racism and discrimination. These topics are not only important for the students, but also reflect the contemporary challenges in society.

political education and youth participation

After the intensive discussions, the group followed a ongoing plenary session, which gave the students practical insights into the political processes. The visit ended with a lunch together in the state parliament restaurant, where there were further informal discussions. Michael Simon emphasized the importance of dialogue with young people for democratic education and encouraged schools to use the offer of state parliament visits. In doing so, he said positively about the great interest and the committed participation of the students.

"Participation of children and adolescents is crucial for a lively democracy," said the MP. This view is also supported by the findings from the youth participation , which emphasizes that municipalities as living affairs for young people have an outstanding role in promoting political participation. Political decisions at the local level affect children and adolescents directly, which is why they are all the more important.

The potential of youth participation

The study on child and youth participation in Baden-Württemberg shows that the participation of young people has increased in relevant decisions since 2015. This is particularly visible by the increased range of youth participation formats, which have increased from 53% to 68% between 2018 and 2024. However, the report also indicates the challenges that occur in the representative representation of the concerns of all children and adolescents, especially for socially disadvantaged groups.

The various forms of youth participation, such as children's and youth parliaments as well as open formats such as youth forums, are examples of successful approaches that enable young people to collect their voices and actively work on the design of their surroundings. These developments show how important it is to create clear structures and inclusive framework conditions in order to promote the political participation of all children and adolescents.