STUDY DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON YOUNG PEOPLE A Survey among»Young Leaders« in the Middle East and North Africa Jörg Gertel and David Kreuer September 2021 This study provides insights into the group of participants in the»Young Leaders« pro­gramme of the Friedrich-Ebert­Stiftung in the MENA region and their experience of the Covid-19 ­Crisis in 2020. The Corona virus directly threatened and sometimes took the lives of friends and family. The measures taken to curb the pandemic destroyed job security, education trajec­tories and mental health sta­bility for many young people. At the same time, a high level of reflection, resourcefulness and optimism is evident. The Young Leaders report a percep­tion of increased solidarity, new forms of civic engagement and awareness of environmental issues and climate change.