School visit on 28.05.2026 - An initiative as part of our focus area

In focus: FALSE PATRIOTS - THE OPEN SOCIETY AND ITS ENEMIES

DEMOCRACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

As part of the event „Gen Z on the right: social media, seduction and youth culture“ on 27 May, investigative journalist Antonie Rietzschel and democracy influencer Rafid Kabir discussed the reasons for the growing popularity of far-right and populist movements among young people. The focus was on the search for identity, the appeal of populist content on social media and the question of why democratic parties often fail to reach young people. The importance of protecting and strengthening liberal democracy was also emphasised.

During his visit to Vienna, Rafid Kabir was also a guest at the Gymnasium am Augarten secondary school to talk to pupils about democracy and political opinion-forming. During the two-hour workshop, the 60 or so participants engaged with various topics, experiments and a democracy simulation game. The focus was on the questions of what democracy means, what functions it should fulfil and how political propaganda is spread via social media. Rafid Kabir explained the mechanisms and strategies that are used and how young people can recognise them.

The pupils took an active part in the discussions. In the final democracy simulation game, they had to decide in small groups which five of ten proposed social goals should be prioritised in their democracy. It became clear that democratic decision-making processes often involve difficult trade-offs and that not all wishes can be considered equally. The young people experienced directly how important discussion, willingness to compromise and joint decision-making are for the functioning of a democracy. Overall, the pupils showed great interest in political issues. This shows how important political education and critical media skills are for active participation in democratic processes.