00:00Berlin, at the end of May, thousands of young people are demonstrating for more climate
00:11protection with the youth organization Fridays for Future.
00:15On this specific Friday, 100,000 people take part across Germany, including 19-year-old
00:21Samira Ghandour.
00:24The demonstration has been in full swing since about 12 noon, and we're now walking loudly
00:28through the government district.
00:30Climate protection and democracy only work hand-in-hand.
00:35Samira and the others feel that they are not being heard by those in power, that their
00:39interests are not adequately represented.
00:42So they want to help shape democracy.
00:44A new study shows that many young people in Europe believe democracy is in danger, all
00:49the more reason for Samira to get involved.
00:53She's not happy with the political situation.
00:55The climate crisis motivated her to become politically active.
00:59She's been involved with Fridays for Future for five years now, since she was 14.
01:05These days, she not only participates, but also organizes protests.
01:10This park in Berlin's Treptow district has special significance for her.
01:15The Island of Youth behind the bridge is a place I used to go with my friends to chill.
01:19It's where I became more politicized.
01:25Climate protection is no picnic.
01:27That's what's written on the poster that she made for the protest.
01:30It all began back when she was in school.
01:33I went with my class to my first demonstration because my teachers motivated me.
01:37Then I realized how extreme climate change is, and that we really have to do something.
01:42I still feel that way, so I'm on the streets with Fridays for Future.
01:47For Can Aru, it also began with protests.
01:50The 23-year-old has been involved with the Green Party for three years.
01:54Instead of complaining about things he didn't like, he decided he needed to take action.
01:59He wanted to make a difference in his neighborhood, in Berlin's Pankow district.
02:03For Can Aru, democracy means getting involved.
02:08This year, he's standing for election in his district for the first time.
02:15Young people, especially because they're starting to build a life, if you listen to them, you'd
02:19realize that their ideas are very similar to the ideas that older people have.
02:23It would be good for politics at all levels to bring them together and compare the ideas.
02:29As a Green candidate, he doesn't have it easy in his district.
02:33Time and again, he says, he's received insults, threats or attacks.
02:37Aru's grandparents came to Germany from Turkey decades ago.
02:41He has a lot of experience with racism, which is also why he stands up for people with a
02:45migration background.
02:48It's really important that people are heard and seen and represented, especially if, which
02:54is not the case for me, but especially if they have a visible history of migration.
02:59Racism and xenophobia are totally present in this society, and those with a different
03:03skin color experience racism every day.
03:06It's super important that this be made public and that people realize it's not okay.
03:11He also went into politics because he's concerned about the future of his generation in these
03:15times of war and climate crisis.
03:18Especially with regard to climate change, young people need a perspective and people
03:23who represent them.
03:26Young people, with everything that faces them, are not represented at all, especially in
03:31European politics, starting with the topic of climate change.
03:35And so the young have to somehow bring all these issues into politics, as they are much
03:39more affected by them because they will, hopefully, be on this planet for a very long time.
03:48The Fridays for Future movement has already achieved a lot.
03:51Climate protection has long been one of the top issues on the political agenda.
03:56Samira believes all the effort has been worth it.
04:02I've actually given up a lot of my free time, a lot of my hobbies, but 2019 was a different
04:06time when people weren't really that aware of the climate crisis, and we managed to get
04:11the climate discussion going.
04:13Today we're standing here with so many people, and I'm just very, very grateful that everyone
04:17is prepared to protest.
04:20Whether as demonstrators on the streets or actively involved in politics, Can Aru, Samira
04:25Gandour and other protesters have already made a difference.
04:29They believe that those who want to protect democracy need to give young people a louder
04:33voice in the future.
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