Easy come, easy go – youth education in changing circumstances
The eightieth anniversary of Germany's liberation from Nazi terror, political instability, and the wars in Europe and the Middle East were the issues that preoccupied us politically. The ups and downs of the past year didn't spare the wannseeFORUM either. After much uncertainty, we were able to retain two-thirds of the increased funding from the state of Berlin for 2024. However, it was unclear whether the Tariff adjustment funds 2025 for independent providers would be financially feasible through additional funding, or should we manage the increase without public funds? Together with other organizations, we took to the streets to protest the cuts and were heard: the funding came through. The late adoption of the federal budget also presented several challenges. long budgetary reservation This led to delays in the use of federal funding and uncertainty in seminar planning. Occupancy schedules are typically finalized a year and a half in advance.
A place for dialogue
Despite all regional, national and international tensions and conflicts, the wannseeFORUM remained a Place of dialogue. Enabling democratic learning and promoting encounters between young people with different perspectives was also achieved in 2025.
Last year, we primarily hosted children and young people from Berlin. However, we were also able to welcome young people from all over Germany, as well as from Europe and Israel, despite the war and crisis in the Middle East. They all came together to learn, gain experience, and develop their own perspectives and ideas about the world we live in.
From the main topics
The federal election was a central topic in our organization, particularly during the first quarter. In seminars of the Focus area „Participation and School“ The participants engaged intensively with questions of intergenerational fairness, opportunities for participation, and the impact of civic decisions on their everyday school life. It became clear time and again: Civic maturity begins in the classroom! Empowering students to represent their interests and to understand school as a space for civic experience was one of our most important goals in 2025. Seminars on "Respect in School and Society" and the training of student mentors formed a central foundation for this. Our Respect Charter served as a guiding principle, as did the experience that treating each other with respect is a prerequisite for civic courage and social engagement. The necessity of safe learning environments was also demonstrated in seminars of the Focus area „Democracy and Society“. When participants openly express anti-democratic and anti-Semitic views and attempt to dominate the discourse, the facilitators are required to take decisive pedagogical action with the necessary sensitivity. This is necessary both to preserve the safe space and to open the educational space for personal and political development to all who wish to participate, and to encourage critical learning processes among proponents of misanthropic attitudes. Charter of Respect It proved to be a reliable support system for both national and international educational work. Misogyny does not respect national borders. Therefore, it is all the more important to promote dialogue and dismantle prejudices. The rise in antisemitism presented us with particular challenges in 2025. Funded by the State Agency for Civic Education and with support from the New Israel Fund, we were able to... Comic exhibition „How are you? – Against antisemitism, hatred and racism“ Bring them to Berlin and incorporate them into our seminars.
Despite all the difficulties, it was possible to facilitate two encounters between young people from Germany and Israel. One of these even involved young people who identify as Palestinian. Friendships developed not only here, but also at other seminars.
To mark the anniversary of the liberation of Europe from Nazi terror regimes, young people from Germany and Austria, among others, came together. The participatory seminar was part of the 11th cycle the EU Youth Dialogue within which young people had the opportunity to talk to politicians. The results were forwarded to the National Working Group and thus to Brussels in January 2026.
The discussion about how to deal with social media was in Focus on „Digitalization and Democracy“ An important topic. The focus here was on artificial intelligence and its impact on democratic processes. In artistic workshops on audio, film, graphics, game development, and image design, participants explored the use of digital media in a hands-on way and grappled with questions of digital self-determination and external control, opinion formation, and identity development. The interplay of analog and digital working methods opened up diverse approaches and helped to reduce anxieties about technological developments. The workshop principle once again proved to be an effective method for initiating learning processes at the wannseeFORUM. And not only there, but also in the Focus on „Cultural Education“. At the international art workshops held at Easter and in the summer, young adults from all over Europe came together. They developed and formulated questions on the relevant issues of our time. Through the discovery of new and the deepening of existing artistic techniques and skills, they developed their own unique and exceptionally creative approaches. Also in the summer, we offered... Focus on „Social Issues and Civic Participation“ For the first time, we offered a summer camp for children and young people from low-income families who have experienced discrimination. Fifty young people came together to discuss the topic of classism. We were able to draw on the Report by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights The study, which points out, among other things, that poverty and income inequality have increased significantly in Germany in recent years, was cited. The Strockhausen Foundation and the Kreuzberg Children's Foundation covered the required personal contribution.
Definitely worth mentioning
A special impetus came again in 2025 from jugendBEIRAT out. The ones planned by the young people themselves and
carried out Offers such as PentecostLAB and cultural evenings They impressively demonstrate how civic education becomes effective through self-organization, initiative, and collaborative action. Participants take responsibility for planning, implementation, and evaluation, experiencing a sense of self-efficacy – an experience that extends far beyond the individual project. That our program is of interest not only to children and young people but also to multipliers from abroad is illustrated by our international activities. In 2025, we were privileged to Multipliers from Belgium, Bulgaria and Romania We were welcomed. Our speakers were welcome guests at conferences in Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Finland, and at the Council of Europe in Hungary. As a youth education center certified by the Council of Europe, we also participated in the „Fourth European Youth Work Convention“ in Malta We were represented and were able to present the Respect Charter. We also further developed our relations with Armenia. . Lilit Gevorgyan was a guest for several weeks at the wannseeFORUM and other institutions of the Working Group of German Educational Institutions. We expect a group of experts from there in 2026.