European Democracy Youth Network – Berlin Declaration
We, the members of the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN) from:
The Republic of Albania, Republic of Armenia, Azerbaijan Republic, Republic of Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Bulgaria, Republic of Estonia, Georgia, Republic of Kosovo, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Poland, Republic of Serbia, Ukraine in the EDYN Democracy Summit convened in Berlin, Germany on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall:
Expressing our common adherence to the values of liberty, justice, and equality;
Reaffirming our commitment to promote greater civic and political youth leadership in Europe, and;
Hereby commit to:
Ensure ACCOUNTABILITY is reflected in our conduct as individuals and built into our organizational processes;
Principles of ANTI-EXTREMISM, opposing ideologies that seeks to undermine democratic values in society at-large through our words and actions;
Work towards affecting political and social change through CONSTRUCTIVE POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT, good-faith dialogue, and debate with a diverse range of
viewpoints;
Conduct ourselves and our organization’s operations with ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS and consideration for principles of sustainability;
Display ETHICAL BEHAVIOR – honesty, fairness, and dignity;
Safeguard INCLUSION and equal opportunity for every individual, regardless of gender, disability, national or ethnic origin, religious beliefs or political
orientation;
Cultivate a MERITOCRACY of ideas in our personal and professional communities;
Treat every individual with RESPECT and consideration for their feelings, desires, rights, and traditions;
Foster SOLIDARITY and mutual support among youth committed to democratic principles; and Advocate for TRANSPARENCY, openness, and information-sharing in decision-making processes and collaborative work.
Acknowledging our network’s geographic, vocational, and political diversity, we share individual responsibility for the health of democracy in each of our countries. We
commit to building, sustaining, and reforming democratic institutions through greater youth participation and leadership, by
- Providing members with practical professional development and skills-building;
- Encouraging the exchange of best practices and experience through people-to-people linkages across member countries and between generations;
- Amplifying narratives around democracy’s impact on citizens’ day-to-day lives;
- Leveraging local youth networks in member-driven initiatives;
- Collaborating with organizations that share EDYN’s values and commitment to youth leadership, and;
- Advocating for the inclusion of youth voices in policy development processes at the local, national, and international level.
