Democracy Starts Small
What does it actually mean to shape democracy? This question accompanied a small delegation of students from Schule Schloss Salem to Stuttgart in April – to the Theodor Heuss Colloquium and the subsequent awards ceremony. At first, the topic sounded abstract: “Shaping the future – opportunities for a resilient democracy”. But even during the colloquium, it became clear: democracy is not an abstract state, but something that people bring to life every day.
The meeting with this year’s medal winners was particularly impressive. The creator Marcant uses TikTok and Instagram to challenge far-right positions in an objective and fact-based manner – even when it becomes uncomfortable and personally dangerous. The “Dorfliebe für alle” alliance in Thuringia focuses on encounter rather than confrontation: through cultural events, walks and discussion groups. What sounds trivial is based on a radical idea: bringing people back into conversation with one another. The “Playing History” project, meanwhile, brings history to life in an interactive way and demonstrates how important historical awareness is for democratic action.
The Salem delegation had the opportunity to present two of these initiatives. During the preparations and discussions on site, their own perspective also shifted: initially, the question remained as to whether comparatively small initiatives could actually make a difference. After the discussions, the answer was clear: the strength of a democracy lies not only in major political decisions, but in the sum of many small actions. This year’s award winner, Margrethe Vestager, was unable to attend the colloquium in person, but she exemplifies the European perspective on democracy: democratic values must be defended and shaped time and again – even across national borders.
The projects all had one thing in common: the belief that democracy works when people are willing to stand up for it. Democracy is not something that ‘those at the top’ sort out for us. Nor is it something that simply persists just because it has been around for a long time. It thrives on us taking it seriously – and sometimes on us daring to ask uncomfortable questions. Or, to put it less dramatically: perhaps democracy begins precisely where we stop thinking that our contribution is too small.
