In the past little emphasis was placed upon critical thinking and leadership development, or student participation in civil society. This has resulted in a sense of fatalism among the younger generation about prospects for positive social change and pessimism about their own career options.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, funds for youth development have fallen prey to budget cuts. Consequently, no formal structure has replaced the old ideological socialist one as private, public and non-profit sector solutions to this challenge have been slow to emerge.

Therefore there is a compelling need to engage young people in new roles in the development of their communities and to cultivate in them life-skills and civic sensitivity so that a new generation can make the transition into adulthood with experiences of social problem-solving, and a belief in their ability to help shape the future.

Foundation for Democratic Youth / Demokratikus Ifjúságért Alapítvány (DIA) is a Hungarian non-political, non-profit organization building a youth service infrastructure for youth ages 14-25 within Hungary, connecting its activities to parallel programming in seven neighboring countries.

The DIA program model was developed in partnership with Youth Service International, YSI. The model blends youth service, civic education and active learning methodologies so that young people actively learn through direct participation in their communities. In practice, DIA works directly with local youth groups supported by local coordinators. These youth provide volunteer service in their communities while attending weekly reflection sessions to analyze their experiences. DIA has built a supportive framework around these local activities that include trainings, conferences, financial support, exchange programs and thematic materials among others.