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Press release 05/2025

What makes a good life? Ethics Council launches Germany-wide student initiative

The German Ethics Council invites young people to share their views. Under the title “Your ideas of a good life – what counts, who counts and who pays what?”, a nationwide participatory campaign is being launched today, inviting young people to contribute their ideas for a truly successful future. The closing date for entries is 7 February 2026.
11/11/2025

“How do you imagine a good life? What is important? The German Ethics Council wants to know what moves you and what worries and hopes you hold,” says the Council’s chair, Helmut Frister, who is hoping for a lively exchange with the teenagers.

Learners currently in 8th and 9th grades are invited to participate creatively in the campaign. The project is open to classes and courses of all school types. It focusses on the following questions:

  • How do you imagine a good life – today and in the future?
  • What is truly important to you – and who matters most?
  • Who should be given special consideration – and how?
  • Who bears what responsibility – and what are the costs?

The Ethics Council welcomes entries that address these questions in a wide variety of formats – such as videos, plays, performances, simulation games, posters, poetry slams or songs. To participate, please e-mail an abstract outlining the ideas to events@ethikrat.org. The deadline for abstract submissions is 7 February 2026.

Up to ten contributions will be selected from all entries, giving the students sufficient time to work on them before presenting them at the German Ethics Council's autumn conference in Leipzig on 11 November 2026.

“The future belongs to young people – and how we think about it has an impact on where we are heading. We are interested to see which direction young people wish to take,” emphasises Cornelia Betsch. The psychologist is a member of the German Ethics Council and spokesperson for the campaign's preparatory working group. “The Ethics Council is curious. Especially in a time of multiple crises that urgently need to be addressed, we need all ideas on the table – from dreams to concrete plans to utopias.”

“The question of what constitutes a good life both today and in the future touches on key topics such as the meaning of life, happiness, responsibility, justice and self-fulfilment,” adds Jutta Allmendinger, deputy spokesperson for the preparatory working group. “At its core, it involves many ethical questions. That is why we would like to hear from young people at our conference in Leipzig about how the Ethics Council can take greater account of their interests.”

The full announcement of the campaign “Your ideas about the good life – what counts, who counts and who pays what?” can be found online at www.ethikrat.org/veranstaltungen/tagungen/eure-vorstellungen-vom-guten-leben (in German only).