May 15, 2024
The three partners will pool resources with the goal of combatting loneliness among young people and strengthening their mental health. The state government views the collaboration as an important step in the fight against loneliness among the young. “Loneliness is the new social issue of our time,” explains Minister President Hendrik Wüst. “Not only does it have a negative impact on the lives of those affected by it, it is especially harmful to social cohesion. We must prevent lonely children and young people from becoming lonely adults. That makes it all the more important for us to take a closer look early on and expand what we know about the phenomenon of loneliness among the young.”
[Zitat]
“We must prevent lonely children and young people from becoming lonely adults.”
Minister President Hendrik Wüst
“Loneliness among young people is a serious social challenge that we are now tackling together,” says Liz Mohn, chairwoman of the Liz Mohn Foundation Executive Board and worldwide representative of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. “By cooperating with the state government of North Rhine–Westphalia, we are helping young people feel more at home in society. Together, we want to find out more about why they are lonely. We want to know how we can help them overcome this situation and how we can ensure they don’t become lonely in the first place.”
On June 6, 2024, the first conference on loneliness will take place at the State Chancellery in Düsseldorf. A discussion paper will be presented on international policy responses to loneliness among young people, which is currently being prepared by the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Liz Mohn Foundation. The idea behind the paper is to identify best practices on the European and international level for combatting loneliness among children and adolescents. The initiatives are also being assessed to see if they can be transferred to North Rhine–Westphalia.
The collaboration is benefitting from the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s and the Liz Mohn Foundation’s many years of experience promoting education, social cohesion and social participation. The state government will contribute its political expertise and the resources being used to implement its “five pillar” action plan on combatting loneliness.
