General
Youth Leaders Make Democracy Their Focus
Six young people from around the world who attended the Athens Democracy Forum spoke about what drives them and the challenges they face.
Young people from around the world who actively champion democracy are an integral part of the global effort to gain, preserve and protect freedoms. The following six were among the group of young activists who attended and participated in the Athens Democracy Forum last week.
Before the forum began, we interviewed them by phone, video and email about their work and experiences. Their responses were edited and condensed.
Persiana Aksentieva
Hamburg, Germany; 28; Youth fellow, International Youth Think Tank
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Ms. Aksentieva has spent the last five years advocating democracy in Europe. An International Youth Think Tank fellow, she recently traveled to Sofia and spoke to high school students about the importance of voting. She also works for a beauty and personal care company in Hamburg.
Nicole Kleeb
Berlin; 27; Project manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung
Ms. Kleeb works for Bertelsmann Stiftung, a social reform foundation, in Gütersloh, Germany, as well as in youth engagement in democracy throughout Europe. She also leads the foundation’s #NowEurope initiative that encourages young people to vote and volunteers as vice president for the Young German Council on Foreign Relations.
