plan b - Have your say, help shape the future, participate in the decision-making process
Disenchantment with politics, right-wing populism and an increasing drifting apart of society - our democracy is suffering. Many people want to be heard more by politics.
The handling of the coronavirus has further exacerbated the crisis of democracy. Less than half of Germans are satisfied with the way democracy works. Is more co-determination the solution? "plan b" meets people who want to make just that possible.
According to happiness research, political co-determination, i.e. participation in democratic processes, makes people more satisfied. More and more people are joining forces to make their voices heard. So are Dominik Herold, Katharina Liesenberg, Yannik Roscher + Ben Christian. "Democracy is more than making a cross every four years," is the conviction of the group of young political students* from Frankfurt. With their association "more than voting", the students are currently converting a public bus into a democracy car. In the future, it will travel through the various districts of Frankfurt as a "rolling living room" and offer space for political participation and exchange between the city and its citizens. Democracy on wheels: an idea that originated at the Democracy Convention initiated by the association - a gathering of randomly selected citizens.
Climate change, species extinction and the transformation to a sustainable future: when it comes to how we as a society want to deal with these challenges, many young people do not feel heard. The Danish initiative "Sustain Democracy" wants to change that. Camille Møller is one of the organizers* of this year's Democracy Festival: "It's important that the next generation learns as early as possible how to have dialogues, take into account the stance of others + find a sustainable consensus." On a small island near Copenhagen, she is therefore showing young people how to advocate for their goals.
Hungarian Levente Litényi has always had a strong sense of justice. As a child, he wanted to become a referee, but like most people from Mátészalkan, he became a factory worker. His hometown is located in one of Hungary's weakest socioeconomic regions, barely noticed by the government. So the thirty-something becomes active himself. With the help of "community organizing," he seeks out fellow citizens + fights in the community for better representation of interests - currently for better public transport connections. "Our goal is to activate as many people as possible to get involved politically and advocate for public issues. That's the only way we can help shape our city + our lives."
Broadcasting on 18th of September 2021 at 05.35pm on ZDF
Music: POPVIRUS Library