Fourth Time at the Athens Democracy Forum!
2 October
A week has passed since our fourth trip to Athens for the Athens Democracy Forum, where the IYTT was represented.
A week has passed since our fourth trip to Athens for the Athens Democracy Forum, where the IYTT was represented by Urban (our founder), Persiana from Bulgaria, and myself (Bia) from South Africa. Athens Democracy Forum is organized by the Democracy and Culture Foundation, in collaboration with The New York Times. While every year presents exciting opportunities to demonstrate our democracy advocacy, this year was particularly special as we highlighted the work of our newest African Youth Fellows and celebrate hosting our first African International Youth Conference and Nobel Symposium in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
As South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy, with 19 elections held across the African continent and a youth demographic where 60% of the population is under the age of 25, African youth are undoubtedly at the forefront of this transformation. The Athens Democracy Forum (ADF) provided us with a platform to present these dynamic, innovative ideas to leading democratic voices. It also allowed us to engage with youth from around the world, showcasing the collective power of young people who are unrelenting in their demands for equality, transparency, and democratisation. The passion among the youth was absolutely captivating.
In line with this year’s theme of truth and trust, I (Bia) delivered a five-minute talk on the African International Youth Conference, presenting a proposal for change titled “Citizen’s Science.” This proposal is dedicated to empowering citizens by fostering local digital and research literacy to bridge gaps in service delivery and hold leaders accountable. Speaking to an esteemed group of individuals from various professional backgrounds was exhilarating. An amazing thing was that my presentation was preceded by the 3-minute video from our African youth conference, which was delivered to us by the film team just a few hours before my presentation! See the African conference video and my presentation in Athens.

Photo by the Democracy and Culture Foundation
I had the privilege of engaging with inspiring young people aged 18-26, alongside Kofi Annan Next Gen Award winner Omar van Reenen, in deep discussions on activism, human rights, and democracy. Their curiosity and passion for these critical issues left me feeling hopeful and energised about the future of emerging leaders. A special thanks to the Global Liberal Arts Alliance and to Simon Gray and Mickey McDonald for graciously bringing together such remarkable GLAA students at every ADF, igniting conversations that blaze a trail for change.

Photo by the Democracy and Culture Foundation
In between sessions, I found myself engrossed in vibrant conversations with people from all walks of life, all deeply committed to the cause of democracy. It was further thrilling to see such enthusiasm for the IYTT’s work, especially as we prepare to expand to the U.S. in 2025, merge youth fellows from Europe, the U.S and Africa with our Youth Summit in Sweden 2025 and India in 2026.
Persiana continued the dialogue around our African Youth Fellows’ proposals on media and information. As the only youth on a panel alongside the President of The New York Times and the Executive Director of the Forum on Information and Democracy, she provided compelling insights on journalistic integrity in Bulgaria, as well as on this year’s proposals from our South African conference. Her brilliant analysis was met with applause from the audience.
As part of the panel discussion “Rethinking Journalism: A Crisis of Confidence”, I (Persiana) had the privilege of representing the youth perspective on why young people are increasingly losing trust in media and journalism. It was essential for us to emphasize not just the challenges but also the solutions that we, as young people, believe can restore confidence in the media. My contribution focused on insights and proposals from three key IYTT events:
- IYC 2024 in South Africa – insights on the reasons of distrust in media; policy proposal for building a Global Media Guild that regulates and controls media and its diversity & ownership.
- IYC 2020 – policy proposal on how to ensure journalistic protection through the creation of a global agency within the UN organisation that gives journalistic immunity to selected journalists delivering the truth.
- Open Democracy Chairs in Oslo (in collaboration with the Nobel Peace Center) – insights on the impact of social media algorithms and “echo chambers” on political opinions, and how people perceive those filters.
See this panel discussion, and find my starting address at 9.45.

Photo by the Democracy and Culture Foundation
This was my first time representing IYTT at such a significant forum, and I felt incredibly proud of what we, the Youth Fellows, brought to the table and the fact that we are not afraid to challenge the status quo and present bold, forward-thinking ideas. In between sessions, I had the chance to engage with many participants from different backgrounds, and it was inspiring to see how receptive they were to our ideas. People were genuinely interested in what IYTT is doing and in potential collaborations. One of the standout moments was Bia’s powerful talk – her passion, her conviction, and the way she energized the audience left everyone in awe. You could literally see goosebumps on people’s arms! It was clear that she sparked even more curiosity about IYTT’s work.
What also deeply touched me was connecting with other young people at the Athens Democracy Forum. From the incredibly skilled teenagers and the remarkable GLAA students to those actively creating initiatives and organizations, it was amazing to meet so many young leaders shaping the future of democracy. This experience opened my eyes to the world beyond my usual bubble. I heard first-hand accounts of the different challenges and experiences people face in their countries, learned about news stories that have not reached my own country, or have been distorted by media, and gained new perspectives on global issues. One especially meaningful connection was with Bia – it was incredibly eye-opening to hear the insights she shared and learn so much from her experience and wisdom.
In line with IYTT’s commitments, we also took the opportunity to run Open Chair Democracy Talks in the Monastiraki square, right where we began three years ago! Bia and I had exciting dialogues with people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, gathering valuable insights that have been summarized in a separate report.

Urban, while engaging and networking tirelessly for our benefit as Youth Fellows, served as a pillar of calm for both of us. He constantly empowered and encouraged us, assisting us in our speeches and presentations, and preparing us to rehearse, constantly seeking to empower us further. We can only thank him for cheering us on and being such a strong motivation and inspiration for all of us, Youth Fellows!
Overall, this year’s ADF was a profoundly empowering experience. It not only reenergised us as Youth Fellows but also inspired the many young people we met. The discussions, projects, and workshops we participated in left us more determined than ever to continue to build a world rooted in human dignity, peace, and equality.
Bia Turnbull & Persiana Aksentieva, Youth Fellows, IYTT