
Intergenerational Fairness
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The principle of intergenerational justice in the youth sector
The basic condition for a successful policy of intergenerational justice is to develop belonging and intergenerational solidarity across society and to strengthen mutual respect between generations. In the area of public policy-making, it is therefore very important to build and cultivate empathy for the needs of other fellow citizens and to develop the ability to see their legitimate needs in the context of needs and other target groups. Public policies are targeted at the whole of society and should reflect the different needs of different social and age groups of the population. Efforts should therefore be made to put young people on an equal footing with all other target groups whose needs and interests are addressed by public policies and who are invited into decision-making processes. By ensuring that youth representatives in all their diversity are regularly consulted and listened to in public policy-making, we need to prepare young people to be able to see and promote their interests and needs in these decision-making processes, in the context of needs and other target groups of public policies. This will allow them to propose intergenerationally acceptable fair solutions. If young people acquire this skill, they will be able to enter actively into political participation with the appropriate self-confidence and chance of success, with the aim not only of choosing an intergenerationally fair political representation, but also of being elected and, more generally, of deciding on the democratic direction of our society.
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