DEMOCRACY IN FOCUS
Our project Democracy in Focus makes an important contribution to diversifying our parliaments and empowers young multipliers to actively participate in shaping our democracy. We focus on the nomination processes of political parties, which we have identified as key systemic levers to improve access to politics for underrepresented groups. This approach ensures that a wide range of perspectives is sustainably reflected in our parliaments.
Are you interested in hosting a workshop with us?
Why is this project needed?
Our democracy is facing major challenges: Many people, especially young ones, are more politically engaged than ever, actively participating in civil society movements. However, very few can envision themselves getting involved within political institutions. Opaque processes, particularly in the allocation of committee and candidate list positions, hinder long-term engagement and the opportunity to run for office—especially for underrepresented groups such as women or people with a migration background (Debus & Himmelrath, Who Runs in the End? New Evidence on the Effects of Gender, Ethnicity and Intersectionality on Candidate Selection, 2024).
The result is a lack of diversity in the political system, widening the gap between political institutions and society.
This is where Democracy in Focus comes in.
How does the project work?
By connecting representatives from all democratic parties, civil society organizations, and experts, the project aims to develop solutions for more transparent and inclusive candidate selection processes. These solutions will be implemented through practical workshops. Democracy in Focus builds on the predecessor project Parteiwatch, translating the previously developed toolkit into workshops led by multipliers.
A six-month hybrid training program for 20 multipliers—including two in-person meetings and monthly digital workshops—equips young, engaged individuals with knowledge on diversity, party engagement, representation, and candidate selection. The program transforms the toolkit into a workshop concept with the goal of embedding these insights into local party structures.
This project is supported by:
