YOUTH COUNCIL PARTICIPATION IN EUROPE

<< Background >>According to a recent survey on youth participation by the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership about the new forms of youth political participation, published in 2023, there is an increasing political apathy among young people. Their declining interest in representative political processes, reluctance to engage in political and civic matters, and low turnout for political elections demonstrate this alarming trend. Therefore, these challenges should be addressed by increasing the quality of youth participation, the impact of young people on policy making, and their involvement in decision-making. In this sense, local youth councils play a huge role not only in voicing the needs of young people, but by being the bridge between them and more institutional organisations and higher levels of decision. However, different contexts require different approaches, and the needs of each local youth council may differ even within their own country. One special way of increasing youth political participation is by improving the quality of the local youth councils, but in order to achieve so, there needs to be a comprehensive analysis of the several different variables that surround them. << Objectives >>- Strengthening local youth councils in participating municipalities by building their capacities for advocacy and cooperation with decision makers- Analysing the current situation of the local youth councils in the partners’ countries, their methods, legal frameworks and the youth policy system - Delivering recommendation packages to improve youth councils’ effectiveness and work quality- Organising two Study visits to Norway and Lithuania for local youth council representatives and local decision-makers in order to share practices and experiences, map mutual challenges and opportunities and further develop the capacities of their local youth councils to advocate for quality youth representation and participation- Increasing the participating organizations’ international experience and promoting European values at the local level.<< Implementation >>The following activities were implemented in the project:Study visit to Kristiansand, Norway, from 16th – 20th October 2023 where participants delved into the topic of youth participation in decision-making process at the local level. The Study visit brought together representatives of local youth councils and municipalities from Estonia, Portugal, and Lithuania, allowing for the sharing of knowledge and experiences of local youth council systems and structures in their countries;Study visit to Klaipeda, Lithuania, from 23rd – 27th January 2024. The main objective of the visit was to exchange knowledge and good practices among participants, particularly regarding local youth participation models. The focus was on empowering local youth councils to play a more active role in local youth policies and decision-making processes. A draft publication on youth participation models was also presented, followed by focus groups where participants provided feedback and suggestions;Multiplier events for sharing project outputs with the broader youth work community were organised in all participating countries << Results >>- Study visits to Klaipeda and Kristiansand provided space for learning about different structures of local youth councils and other participatory structures that served as inspiration for youth workers and local youth council representativesGood practices of local youth councils in Norway, Estonia, Lithuania and Portugal were shared, and common challenges were identified with a focus on practical solutions for increasing the impact of local youth councils in participating municipalities- Project results were disseminated to various institutions, organizations, decision-makers and stakeholders in Norway, Estonia, Lithuania and Portugal at the multiplier events that also resulted in further discussion on quality youth participation- Publication “Local Youth Councils: Analysis of Policy and Mechanisms” offered a comprehensive analysis of youth councils' current situations and youth policy systems in each partner country based on surveys and focus groups with youth council members.