Youth in Eastern Europe – How to engage a new generation?

Scholars and experts will shed light on the political attitudes of youth in Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the countries of the Eastern Partnership. What is their understanding of politics and democracy, and how involved are they in civic activism?

Wednesday, 19.10.22, 09:00-13:00
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Hiroshimastr. 28, 10785 Berlin

The event is organised in cooperation with the Center for East European and International Studies (ZOiS). To participate, please register here.

Young people’s social outlook and political involvement in and beyond post-Soviet countries are diverse and sometimes contradictory. Some enjoy the opportunities of a globalised and borderless world, while others stay put, nostalgic for a past they have never experienced. Young faces are emblematic of the protest movements we witness in countries such as Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. At the same time young people are mobilised in official movements aimed at regime stabilisation. The stringent measures of the Corona pandemic and currently the war in Ukraine are other factors that pose great challenges to the youth.

Discussions will focus on the findings of studies conducted as part of the FES Youth Studies project in Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the countries of the Eastern Partnership. Scholars and experts will shed light on the political attitudes of youth in the region, their understanding of politics and democracy, and involvement in civic activism.