Jugend Budget

JUBU, a project of mitMachen e.V., is an initiative focused on promoting democratic participation and political education for young people. As part of the federal program "Live Democracy!", JUBU develops innovative formats and materials to engage young people in the process of democratic decision-making.

• Citizen Budgets: JUBU enables citizens, including young people from a certain age (usually 12 or 14 years), to participate in voting on the use of municipal funds. This process strengthens democratic participation and demonstrates the concrete impact of democratic decisions[2].
• Political Education: The project provides educational materials and formats for schools and youth work to promote political education and inform young people about democratic processes[2].

The main mission of JUBU is to strengthen a democratic society by actively involving young people in democratic processes. The values of the project include the promotion of democracy, participation, and political education, especially at a time when democratic values are being challenged[2].

• Promotion of Democracy: JUBU works to highlight the positive aspects of liberal democracy and to counter anti-democratic tendencies.
• Practical Experiences: By implementing citizen budgets in communities like Nuthetal, young people gain practical experience in democratic decision-making[2].
• Exchange and Networking: JUBU organizes events and workshops, such as the exchange day "Proactive Democracy Work in Brandenburg," to share experiences and evaluate the effectiveness of the measures[3].

JUBU was recently awarded the Special Prize 2024 for Political Education by the Federal Committee for Political Education (bap) e.V., highlighting the quality and impact of the project[2].