Wulff gets involved – young insights for Lower Saxony

How can youngsters both with and without a migration background be encouraged to become more interested in political events? From 7 to 11 June, 2010, 19 pupils from Hildesheim, Hannover and Wolfsburg looked into this question as part of the innovation games of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs. Under the motto “Wir mischen mit! Junge Impulse für mehr Teilhabe in Niedersachsen im Jahr 2020” [We’re getting involved! Young insights for more participation in Lower Saxony in 2010], they presented their results at the end of the project week to high-level political guests such as Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister, German President, and Jugend denkt Zukunft [youth conceives the future] state sponsor Christian Wulff, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Integration Aygül Özkan, Integration Officer of the state of Lower Saxony, Honey Deihimi, as well as delegates and other guests.

Before they started with the actual work, the pupils in school years 9 to 12 received support from Lower Saxony’s Integration Officer and initiator of the project, and were able to experience day-to-day politics at close quarters in a visit to the Landtag [state parliament]. On the basis of this the youngsters came up with the idea of setting up a House of Youth Politics, offering recreation, advisory and political programmes. The young people also believe the political festival PAM (Politik Austausch Musik – politics exchange music), with presentations, information, and discussion, is a good way of generating interest in politics and promoting intercultural communication. To increase political interest in school, they suggested simulating parliamentary elections, and setting up a pupils’ parliament to improve integration policy. The pupils also thought that initiatives were required at kindergarten level, for example with bilingual groups and play-based language learning.

State Prime Minister Wulff and Minister Özkan were impressed by the project week and its results. They discussed the young people’s ideas with them, and were presented with documents outlining the concepts. The chairman of the state parliament culture committee, who is also responsible for schools, also asked to receive the results, so that he could incorporate them in his work. The youngsters were also extremely enthusiastic: Many would like to take part in further Jugend denkt Zukunft innovation games or complete an internship with the integration officer. Honey Deihimi would therefore like to invite young people to another innovation week next year, in order to gain further important young insights for state policy.