As part of the Soft Skills for Democracy program, we decided to bring together our efforts to activate young people in Erfurt and Thuringia and took part in the BÄMM Jugendkonferenz – a youth event designed to create meaningful dialogue between civil society organisations and young people. The conference brought together several organisations, each with its own stand and activities, all centred around one key question: How can young people actively shape a democratic future?
Our contribution to the conference was a workshop on critical thinking-a skill that is often mentioned, but not always deeply understood. We began by exploring common misconceptions and discussing how some “facts” we believe can turn out to be incorrect. From there, we unpacked the core principles of critical thinking, including questioning assumptions, evaluating sources, reflecting on personal biases, and making informed decisions.
Rather than approaching the topic in a purely theoretical way, the workshop encouraged participants to reflect on real-life situations where critical thinking matters-such as media consumption, social interactions, and civic engagement. Through discussion and interactive exercises, young people were invited to recognise how these skills can be developed over time and practised in everyday life.
The session highlighted that critical thinking is not only an academic skill, but also a democratic one. In a world shaped by rapid information, strong opinions, and constant change, the ability to think critically empowers young people to participate more actively, responsibly, and confidently in society.
The project SoftSkills4Democracy (Pr. nr. 2024-1-DE04-KA154-YOU-000234648) is funded by the Erasmus+ foundation.
