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Baden-Württemberg Youth Foundation [Jugend Stiftung]

Key funders:
German Federal Program 'Living Democracy!' [Demokratie leben!], European Commission...See all
German Federal Program 'Living Democracy!' [Demokratie leben!], European Commission See less
Related projects: 
#StopHate conference, REspect! Reporting Center, European Observatory of Online Hate - Forensics
Strongly connected to: 
REspect! Reporting Center

Jugendstiftung Baden-Württemberg is a state-established foundation founded in 1982 and based in Stuttgart. Its remit spans youth work, civic education and project funding across the Land. The foundation operates the REspect Reporting Center, an EU-recognized trusted flagger tasked with routing allegedly illegal online content to platforms; this unit also collaborates on selected events, including the 2024 #StopHate conference marking the United Nations’ International Day for Combating Hate Speech. Jugendstiftung runs smaller media-literacy activities such as its 2021 seminar on current conspiracy myths and so-called fake news, though these projects disclose no separate funding streams. The foundation also functions as a modest funder, issuing micro-grants to local NGOs and receiving public support for its own programming, including a €424,562 award for the Network Against Online Hate and Disinformation. It further participates in EU-funded initiatives, notably a €58,635.14 contribution under the CERV program for the European Observatory of Online Hate – Forensics.

This organization has also funded a relevant project. You can view its funder profile here.

Commentary:
Jugendstiftung Baden-Württemberg sits at the intersection of youth policy and state-directed content regulation. The REspect Reporting Center gives the foundation a direct role in the enforcement chain of major platforms, yet its criteria for elevating cases remain opaque. This is compounded by the absence of published funding details for its media-literacy activities, which makes it difficult to gauge the balance between pedagogical work and delegated enforcement. The 2021 webinar on conspiracy myths and the 2024 #StopHate event exemplify a narrow conception of civic education centered on policing harmful speech rather than examining the political or economic conditions that generate it. The recent €424,562 grant for a network against online hate and disinformation, alongside CERV support for a forensics-oriented observatory, further embeds the foundation in technocratic efforts to manage digital discourse. Despite its broad youth-work affiliations, its disinformation-related work remains largely internal to the REspect apparatus.

About the organization

Began content control-related programs: 

2021

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Status:
Active
Implementer, Funder
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