(de-news.net) – The German Children’s Fund has made an appeal, on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day, urging that stronger and more comprehensive support be provided for opportunities of civic participation among younger generations. The organization stressed that such measures are essential since, according to its Federal Director Hofmann, the abilities and potential of children and adolescents continue to be underestimated to a significant degree and are often overlooked in public discourse. This persistent underestimation, Hofmann explained, can be traced in part to the tendency of adults not to take the contributions of younger individuals with sufficient seriousness.

Hofmann went on to argue that voluntary engagement, even when it begins in childhood, represents a crucial prerequisite for the long-term preservation and vitality of democratic systems. In support of this claim, he pointed to concrete examples such as children’s and youth parliaments, associations, and forums, which provide structured avenues for early participation and foster a sense of responsibility. In connection with these arguments, the organization drew attention to the findings of its own study. The research demonstrated that children and adolescents who actively shaped their immediate environment were considerably more likely, once they reached adulthood, to engage in the structuring and governance of the wider community. The study thus underscored the formative impact of early involvement, suggesting that participation during youth has enduring consequences for democratic engagement later in life.

At the same time, it was observed that public attention remains disproportionately focused on the voluntary activities of adults. This imbalance, the Children’s Fund noted, risks obscuring the formative role played by younger participants and diminishes recognition of their contributions. By highlighting this disparity, the organization sought to remind policymakers and society at large that the cultivation of democratic values must begin early and that the voices of children and adolescents deserve to be taken seriously in shaping the future of civic life.