“You(th) in the center” is a 15-month (July 2017-September 2018), 4-country (Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania) Structured Dialogue project (Key Action 3 Erasmus+ Youth) aiming to establish a network of young people and youth organizations that will contribute to structuring regional thematic cooperation between youngsters on the one hand and public and local authorities on the other. The aim of this cooperation is to improve the environment for youth participation, in particular of young people with fewer opportunities. By encouraging structured dialogue between young people and youth decision-makers this project aims to improve young people’s access to social rights. In the context of youth participation, this project aims to explore what the democratization of knowledge in civil society and active youth participation means in practice.
Youthnet Hellas, Greece AID – Alternative Innovative Development, Greece Active Bulgarian Society, Bulgaria PVN – Projekte Vullnetare Nderkombetare, Albania IFIX, Serbia
Erasmus+ Youth, Key Action 3, Structured Dialogue
Objectives of the project
Raise awareness of young people’s social rights and their opportunity of engaging in dialogue with the decision-makers, experts and representatives of public authorities in the field of youth through Structured Dialogue Bring together – by means of creating a youth network – young people who are suffering from unemployment and poverty, young people from ethnic or religious minorities, with migrant background, young refugees, and to motivate them for political involvement and active participation in civic life within their societies Promote European values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, through project’s activities (based on Article 2, Treaty on EU) Increase the level of active citizenship of young people and, consequently build social conscience for democratic participation, both in a local level in their communities and in a European one Provide young people the opportunity to develop their competences on tackling personal problems such as unemployment and poverty or problems that their community is facing, such as exclusion from institutions and corruption, by active youth participation Promote active participation of young people in Balkans in the development of policies that concern them, through informing the Erasmus+ Youth Program and giving special focus on active inclusion of youth
Participants profile
Participants (50 participants: 20 Greece, 10 Bulgaria, 10 Serbia, 10 Albania)
Young people between 18 and 30 years old Young people from rural areas, unemployed youngsters, marginalized youngsters, from religion and cultural minorities and with migrant/refugee background To have the chance to multiply the outcomes of project To be committed to participate in the whole program
Activities of the project
1. 3-day Kick-off Meeting in September 2017 in Larissa, Greece
(10 participants: 4-Greece, 2-Bulgaria, 2-Albania, 2-Serbia)2.
Local actions in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia
(October 2017 – May 2018) (all the participants)
Registration of policies/institutions/good practices/opinions
-Registration of youth policy-makers in each participating country and EU (organizations, institutions, persons) -Registration of youth policies in each country -EU youth strategy and how it is followed/applied in each country -Structured Dialogue-good practices -Youth participation (in civil life, politics, decisions, society)-good practices
Interviews/Questionnaires
-Interviews with decision makers and representatives from local authorities about their opinion/thoughts/work on youth policies, active youth participation and Structured dialogue -Interviews with young people in each country with main topic their participation/opinion about Structured dialogue and (their) youth participation -Questionnaires with target group young people in each country about youth participation and Structured dialogue.
Activities organised during the European Youth Week (May 2018)
-Public debates on the structured dialogue: Meetings of young people and those responsible for youth policy organized by each organization and if it is possible in collaboration with other youth organizations/schools in the region.
Local events
Workshops: organized by the participants and facilitated by the youth workers. Topics: Erasmus+ and youth participation through the program/Europass and how I fill it/the use of Youthpass. Exhibition: photography or art exhibition about young people’s role in the society. 3.
Mid-term evaluation online meeting
(January 2018) (all the participants) 4.
4-day Structured Dialogue / Closing of the project meeting in June 2018 in Larissa, Greece
(all the participants)
