Between 5-7 November November 2025, ASEF was invited to join the World Forum for Democracy 2025, organised by the Council of Europe at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France under the theme “Democracy at risk : how can we revive it?”. ASEFEdu sent two Youth Delegates to participate – ensuring the presence of strong youth voices!
About the World Forum for Democracy
The World Forum for Democracy has been organised since 2012. In 2025, the Forum was organised between 5-7 November under the theme “Democracy at risk : how can we revive it?”, and explored the causes of eroding trust in democratic institutions; such as inequality, disinformation, digital manipulation and weakening checks and balances. Through this, it showcased concrete grassroots initiatives that strengthened participation, resilience and legitimacy. Through plenary debates, hands-on labs and side events, participants co-created and shared solutions that reinforced democratic culture, highlighted the roles of journalism, culture, youth engagement and technology, and contributed to more inclusive, participatory and sustainable democracies worldwide.
Read more about the Forum and the outcomes here.
ASEF’s Contribution and Testimonials – ASEFEdu Medium Blogs
ASEF was invited by the Council of Europe to send two delegates to the World Forum for Democracy 2025. Our ASEFEdu youth delegates Michael MAGO (Philippines) and Soyoung SOON (Korea) were selected and below you can read their reflections on their experiences at the World Forum for Democracy 2025 and contributions to the ASEFEdu Medium blog – sharing their perspectives and reflections with the wider ASEF community! Read what they had to say about the Forum in their full articles through the links.
“The Forum was not just a space to learn about democracy, but to practice it. It was a time to debate with people holding vastly different opinions, to struggle to find common ground, and to argue passionately. We took responsibility for our words and fiercely considered whose voices were still underrepresented. While the tone was formal, the diversity of the participants, ranging from artists and academics to social activists and podcasters, made the dialogue deeply meaningful. It reminded me that innovation in democracy often comes from the grassroots level.”
“Together with fellow youth delegates, we crafted and delivered our own interventions. As an innovation governance enthusiast, I was glad to contribute towards reframing the debate on AI. Instead of treating it as an inevitable disruptor of elections and public discourse, we argued that its democratic value depends on the cultures of transparency and accountability, especially the shared responsibility that surrounds it.”
Partnership with the Council of Europe
ASEF has worked with the Council of Europe on several projects throughout the years – often with a strong youth focus. Most recently, ASEF partnered with the Council of Europe on the ASEFYLS Capacity Buildings 2024, partly hosted at the European Youth Centre Budapest. Learn more about the ASEFYLS2025 Capacity Building hosted by the Council of Europe Youth Centre Budapest in 2024 here.
Learn more about the ASEF Young Leaders Summit here.
Learn more about the most recent 6th ASEF Young Leaders Summit here.