Volunteering for democracy & human rights: what you can expect

Democracy and human rights cannot be taken for granted. In Germany, trust in political institutions is dwindling, populism is gaining ground and civil society organizations are under increasing pressure. At the same time, awareness is growing: Democracy lives not only from elections, but from people who work for it every day. This is exactly where volunteering comes into play.

In this article you will find out about democracy and human rights in Germany, what role volunteers play in this and what you should look out for when getting started.

Contents:

1. Democracy & human rights in Germany
2. How organizations and volunteers strengthen democracy and human rights
3. What you should look out for when volunteering for democracy & human rights
4. Find your volunteer position for democracy & human rights at vostel.de
5. FAQ – Frequently asked questions about volunteering for democracy & human rights

1. Democracy & human rights in Germany

Trust in democracy is dwindling

In Germany, most people are fundamentally committed to democracy. However, there is a growing gap between this commitment and satisfaction with its implementation. At the same time, parties such as the AfD with anti-democratic positions are gaining popularity and attacks on journalists and civil society organizations are on the rise. These developments are also clearly reflected in current studies and reports:

• 79% of the population describe themselves as convinced democrats (up 6 percentage points on 2021) (FES Mitte Study 2025)

• But only 52% still think that democracy works well on the whole (2018/19: 65%) (FES Mitte Study 2025)

• Only 45% have great or very great trust in democracy (Körber Stiftung 2025)

• 53% express little or no trust in democracy (Körber Stiftung 2025)

• 80% see the global rise in populism as a significant threat, an increase of 11 percentage points compared to the previous year (Körber Stiftung 2025)

• 89 documented attacks on media professionals in Germany in 2024, more than twice as many as in the previous year (Reporters Without Borders 2025)

Human rights under pressure

In its latest report (2024/25), the German Institute for Human Rights states that particularly vulnerable groups in Germany continue to be inadequately protected. These include people in the asylum process, children, women affected by gender-based violence and victims of human trafficking. The situation is further exacerbated worldwide by the rise of authoritarian forces and the erosion of multilateral structures.

There are also worrying developments in Germany:

• 5,164 antisemitic crimes were registered in 2023, an increase of 96 percent compared to the previous year (HRW World Report 2025)
• The Federal Ministry of the Interior counted 15,087 xenophobic crimes in 2023, an increase of 50 percent compared to 2022 and a new high. Around 77% of these were politically motivated by the right (Mediendienst Integration)

Civil society as a protective shield

Despite these developments, there is reason for optimism: an active civil society acts as an important counterweight. According to the Federal Foreign Office, civic engagement and human rights are mutually dependent: without committed people, there is a lack of voices that draw attention to grievances and make marginalized groups heard. 2024 findings by the German Foundation for Civic Engagement and Volunteering are particularly revealing: committed people are significantly less likely to hold right-wing extremist and misanthropic attitudes than those who are not committed. Volunteering therefore not only has an outward effect, it also strengthens the democratic attitude of the people who do it.

2. How organizations and volunteers strengthen democracy & human rights

Picture: Starke Demokratie e.V.

What non-profit organizations do

In Germany, numerous non-profit organizations and initiatives are committed to protecting and strengthening democracy and human rights. They carry out educational work, offer advice to those affected, develop educational programs and implement concrete projects that anchor democratic values in everyday life.

On vostel.de you will find projects by, among others:

• Amnesty International – The world’s largest human rights movement is represented by several city groups on vostel.de. Volunteers provide support with public relations work, information tables, petitions and local events
• Arolsen Archives – The world’s largest archive of victims and survivors of National Socialism. In the project
  #everynamecounts you can digitize names and data of victims of National Socialism from any location
• Starke Demokratie.V. – Seeks, among others, volunteer lawyers and podcast contributors, possible regardless of location
• Start with a Friend e.V. – Connects immigrants and locals for social participation and diversity
• WürdeWerkstatt e.V. – Documents life stories of people in difficult life situations, seeks support for audio and video production
• SPREUWEIZEN – Engages young people in political education work
• YFU – Offers tolerance workshops at schools, which volunteers lead independently

Other important organizations in this field:

Not all key players in the field of democracy and human rights arrange their volunteering via vostel.de. If you would like to get involved with these organizations, you can contact them directly:

• Amadeu Antonio Stiftung– Promotes local initiatives against right-wing extremism, racism and anti-Semitism since 1998 and supports over 1,000 projects nationwide
• HateAid – Advises people affected by digital violence and hate messages and advocates for basic democratic values online
• Gegen Vergessen, für Demokratie e.V. – Combines remembrance work with active civil courage training

In addition, there are many local alliances, educational initiatives and advice centers that often manage with few full-time employees and rely heavily on volunteers.

How volunteers are involved

Volunteers get involved in this area in very different ways. Some provide practical support at events, others take on content-related tasks such as research, texts or social media. Still others act as mentors, discussion partners or buddies and are in direct contact with people who need support.

Typical fields of activity in the area of volunteering for democracy and human rights

On vostel.de you will find opportunities to get involved in this area in a wide variety of formats, for example:

• Political education work: leading or supporting workshops, lectures or seminars at schools and in youth work, for example on topics such as tolerance, diversity or media skills

• Sponsorships, buddy programs & language tandems: Supporting and networking newcomers, refugees or international scholarship holders on their arrival, for example through sponsorships, buddy programs, language tandems or language cafés

• Advice & legal support: Supporting people in asserting their rights as a volunteer lawyer or in advice centers

• Media & public relations: designing podcasts, social media, newsletters or information materials for non-profit organizations

• Remembrance & documentation work: reappraising history, recording eyewitness accounts or maintaining digital archives

• Event organization: preparing and supporting democracy events, information events or network meetings

• Short commitment in everyday life: using discrimination-sensitive language in your own environment, for example as a low-threshold 5-minute volunteering

4. Find your volunteer position for democracy & human rights on vostel.de

If you would like to get involved in democracy and human rights, you will find numerous opportunities on vostel.de: from political education work, sponsorships and advisory services to media and public relations work for non-profit organizations. On a one-off or regular basis, on site or independent of location.

5. FAQ – Frequently asked questions about volunteering for democracy & human rights

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