Young people from around the world who actively champion democracy are an integral part of the global effort to gain, preserve and protect freedoms. The following six were among the group of young activists who attended and participated in the Athens Democracy Forum last week.
Before the forum began, we interviewed them by phone, video and email about their work and experiences. Their responses were edited and condensed.
Persiana Aksentieva
Hamburg, Germany; 28; Youth fellow, International Youth Think Tank
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Ms. Aksentieva has spent the last five years advocating democracy in Europe. An International Youth Think Tank fellow, she recently traveled to Sofia and spoke to high school students about the importance of voting. She also works for a beauty and personal care company in Hamburg.
Nicole Kleeb
Berlin; 27; Project manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Ms. Kleeb works for Bertelsmann Stiftung, a social reform foundation, in Gütersloh, Germany, as well as in youth engagement in democracy throughout Europe. She also leads the foundation’s #NowEurope initiative that encourages young people to vote and volunteers as vice president for the Young German Council on Foreign Relations.
Lauren Perl
Boston; 21; Co-founder, BallotWise
A senior at Harvard majoring in history and literature, Ms. Perl is the co-founder, with Logan Delavan-Hoover, of BallotWise, a voting education site. She also co-founded and was a co-director of the Equal Rights Amendment Centennial Convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y., in July 2023, which honored women and queer people who have fought for equal rights over the last century.
Bia Turnbull
Cape Town; 26; Youth fellow, International Youth Think Tank
As an International Youth Think Tank fellow, Ms. Turnbull promotes youth empowerment and democracy. She also works as an intelligence analyst for React, a Dutch nonprofit, and volunteers for nonprofits that support democracy and equal rights, especially in postcolonial countries.
Omar van Reenen
Windhoek, Namibia; 28; Founder, Equal Namibia
Mr. Reenen is the 2024 winner of the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize, awarded to those between 18 and 30 who are outstanding leaders in the democracy movement, for their work helping youths counter homophobia and discrimination in Namibia. Their work was a driving force in Namibia’s 2023 Supreme Court decision to recognize same-sex marriages carried out abroad. In addition, they lead L.G.B.T.Q. initiatives throughout Africa.
Luis V. Villaherrera
San Salvador; 29; Co-founder and president, TRACODA
TRACODA — transparency, social control and open data — creates programs and technological tools for Salvadorans to fight corruption and promote democracy. Through initiatives like democracy boot camps, Mr. Villaherrera has spurred thousands of young people into action. He was recognized as an Obama Foundation scholar and was a finalist for the 2024 Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize.
What was the impetus for you getting involved in this line of advocacy?
LAUREN PERL When I was 14, I signed up to participate in a civic training program run by my congressman. The program taught youth how to lobby, canvass and phone bank so that students could effectively engage with the legislative and electoral systems. This experience started my fascination with the political system and my commitment to democratic processes.
BIA TURNBULL My journey began with my family’s history of sacrifice and resilience under apartheid. Their relentless belief in democracy, even after the repression of apartheid they faced, drives my passion.
OMAR VAN REENEN For queer youth like myself, defending democracy is not a choice but a necessity. In Namibia, my generation born at the advent of independence is called the “born-free” generation. But what is the point of being “born free” when apartheid-era laws are used to criminalize our right to love equally? That is why I see the fight for L.G.B.T.Q.I.+ equality as the civil rights issue of my generation, just like racial justice was the civil rights issue of our parents’ generation.
LUIS V. VILLAHERRERA For most of my childhood, I lived a dual reality in a small town in El Salvador. I wasn’t exposed to the public health care system or the deficiencies of the public sector until I went to college, where I witnessed people dying without access to a room or medicine in hospitals. At the same time, I saw politicians becoming millionaires with the people’s money. Seeing the inequalities in the system ignited a fire in me.
What have you learned — positive or negative — from other youths you encounter in your work?
PERSIANA AKSENTIEVA I’ve learned that young people are incredibly resourceful, not only in accessing information but also in critically analyzing it before forming opinions or supporting causes. However, many feel frustrated by systems that seem outdated or indifferent to their input, which creates a gap between their energy for change and the opportunities available to enact it.
NICOLE KLEEB That “we are not alone” — both in a good and negative way. Voluntary work is frustrating, and sometimes you would like to give up. And you’re not alone in these thoughts. After the European elections, I heard similar things from many youth organizations: “Why did we try so hard if this is what the election results look like?” But the positive aspect, the very good turnout, was often ignored. It is crucial not to forget this success and celebrate what has been achieved.
PERL Because of BallotWise, I now know that youth activism does not exclusively manifest as direct legislative advocacy, electoral organizing and political demonstrations. Effective organizing is about changing the minds of decision makers and community members alike. To do that, we must focus on fostering civic discourse about the issues plaguing our community.
TURNBULL One of the negative things I have learned is just how much hardship youth face — the repression and violence they endure while fighting for democratization. I’ve encountered countless youth striving to secure their basic human rights through movements like Woman, Life, Freedom, Free Sudan, Free Palestine and more. So many have had to endure oppressive, exploitative systems, and they have been persecuted for wanting to affect positive and peaceful change.
Yet what stands out most on a positive note is the unbreakable spirit of the youth to fight for the world they envision. From movements calling for peace, cease-fires, unity, inclusivity and tolerance to climate action, nothing is going to stop us from creating the world we want to live in.
VAN REENEN It has been empowering to see young people collectively organize for change. As a gay African youth, the only pathway to liberation I have realized is one built on intersectional organizing. I have been inspired by the solidarity and cross-movement across gender, race, ethnicity and class.
VILLAHERRERA The passion of other young fighters is inspiring. It shows you that even when you feel hopeless, hope still exists.
What has been your most compelling moment or time in your work as a democracy advocate?
KLEEB The work on the European elections this year. We traveled across Germany with more than 20 youth organizations to motivate young people to vote. We set up numerous events and workshops at bars, schools, playgrounds, you name it. This energy and enthusiasm are contagious.
TURNBULL The International Youth Think Tank Conference 2024 and Nobel Symposium in South Africa stand out. Hosting it in my home country was a profound honor. These young leaders were open, tolerant, empowering, compassionate. Their proposals on the challenges of democracy incorporated Indigenous core values such as Ubuntu, a Southern African philosophy of humanism that emphasizes communalism, mutual care, interconnectedness and shared humanity.
VAN REENEN In May 2023, the Supreme Court recognized same-sex marriages contracted abroad — a beacon of hope in a continent often overshadowed by regressive policies. But the backlash was swift and brutal. Homophobic rhetoric surged from members of Parliament, and attacks on queer Namibians increased. Our parliament passed an anti-L.G.B.T.Q.I.+ bill to nullify the Supreme Court verdict and went further to criminalize allyship and imprison activists like me for six years.
A defining moment for me was when we then again won the high court challenge to decriminalize the apartheid-era sodomy law in June 2024. This was once again met with the passage of the amendment to the Marriage Act, meant to prohibit same-sex marriage.
But I continue to fight, and our next frontier is at the ballot box. It’s gratifying to see that Namibian youth comprised 65 percent of newly registered voters in August and plan to head to the polls this November to save our democracy from state-sanctioned homophobia.
VILLAHERRERA When I met President Obama. During our meeting, I broke protocol and said, “I’m sitting here, and I know this is a unique opportunity, so I need to ask uncomfortable questions. If I don’t, I’ll be letting down the people who cannot ask for themselves.” The room went silent — people were shocked but intrigued. After I asked my questions on how to fight wannabe dictators, President Obama offered this advice: “You have a heat in you — use it, and don’t be afraid to act.”
What are some of the misconceptions you have heard regarding democracy? And which one irritates you the most?
AKSENTIEVA That democracy is a universal, “one-size-fits-all” system. In reality, democracy must be flexible and responsive, adapting to the distinct cultural, political and social needs of each country.
KLEEB “Nobody cares about me” and “my vote makes no difference” — these statements make me really angry because they show what a miserable job is being done in promoting politics and enthusiasm for democracy. When you look at individual constituencies in Germany, you can see that in some cases, 50 votes have decided whether a candidate enters Parliament or not.
PERL It frustrates me that people think the actions of the president and senators are light years more important than what is happening in their state house or at their school board meetings. With this in mind, I am very proud that BallotWise shows the legislative record of political candidates from state houses to the White House.
From your perspective, where in the world is democracy most threatened?
AKSENTIEVA Democracy is at risk wherever authoritarianism goes unchecked, regardless of whether it’s in emerging democracies or well-established ones. Polarization and disinformation are increasingly global challenges, weakening democratic institutions across regions.
KLEEB Democracy is most threatened where we take it for granted — in North America and Europe. Generations have grown up in democracy and we are not aware enough of the gradual emergence of antidemocratic forces in our country.
TURNBULL I would say that democracy is increasingly under threat in the West. Recent trends reveal rising social and political repression in countries like the U.S., the U.K. and Germany, evident in increased hate crimes — including Islamophobic, antisemitic and racist incidents — and gross mistreatment of migrants.
VAN REENEN Democracy is under siege across the world, but look no further to the strength of a nation’s democracy than to how it treats its most vulnerable. In Namibia, the L.G.B.T.Q.I.+ community has become the litmus test to the promise of equality our nation was founded on.
If there is one change you would like to see in approaches or in the exercise of democracy, what would it be?
AKSENTIEVA I’d like to see a shift toward more participatory democracy, where citizens are continuously engaged in decision-making processes rather than limited to periodic elections.
KLEEB Talking with people does not mean talking to them. People are more honest, express their ideas and thoughts and challenge each other when they are taken seriously and discussed at eye level, like we accomplished with our project #NowEurope for the European election in Germany.
PERL Accessible local news sources centering on local politics are essential for strengthening democratic engagement, promoting transparency and countering misinformation. By helping citizens stay informed about the issues closest to their daily lives, these outlets empower people to participate more fully in democracy and ensure that local governments are accountable and responsive to their communities.
TURNBULL I believe that democracy is not a one-size-fits-all model. While there are core characteristics that define democratic systems, their application should vary to reflect the diverse needs and contexts of different societies.
VAN REENEN Democracy only works if we all collectively protect it. It will become less of an illusion if the stewards of democracy, the people, ensure with our votes that we place politicians in power who are serving the core tenets of it.
VILLAHERRERA Don’t be boring. We can’t keep doing the same projects and expect different outcomes. Now is the time to be bold and disruptive.
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