Democracy Festival “DemokratON: Young People in Elbląg”

The first Democracy Festival, “DemokratON: Youth in Elbląg,” is behind us. It was a day that showed the enormous potential that lies dormant in the young residents of our city.

From early morning, there was a unique atmosphere of cooperation at the CSE “Światowid.” The event was opened by local government officials and institutions co-organizing the festival, emphasizing the importance of creating a space where young people can talk, act, and learn from practitioners of local public life. This meeting of generations, young people full of energy and experienced leaders, promised an intense and inspiring day from the very beginning.

Immediately after the opening, the young people sat down to talk with the Mayor of Elbląg, asking him questions that touched on their everyday lives, school, city, and future. This open exchange of views showed that young people not only observe their surroundings, but also want to co-create them, consciously and responsibly. Then it was time for an inspiring speech by Jerzy Wcisła, who talked about how young people can have a real impact on Poland and that civic engagement begins long before election day.

In the following hours of the festival, the entire space was filled with workshops, diverse, dynamic, touching on topics that are important here and now. Young people worked on communication, self-awareness, and discovering talents, learned to understand climate processes, talked about mental health, addiction prevention, and how to make wise decisions and build social engagement. In one room, creative activities were taking place, in another, participants were working on designing youth initiatives, and in others, they were analyzing the real challenges facing local communities. This part was complemented by a screening of the film “Elbląg on the big screen,” after which the young people met with director Juliusz Marek and had a chance to go behind the scenes of telling the story of the city.

Today's event was a wonderful example of how, when young people are given space and support, they use it fully, creatively, responsibly, and with vision. We would like to thank everyone who made this day possible: participants, experts, partners, and local government officials. It was a tremendous source of inspiration and cooperation, and at the same time, the beginning of activities that will continue in the future.