Engaging Young People in Planning and Decision-Making for Community Development

Young people in Serbia do not believe that they have a real influence on public policies and do not actively participate in decision-making within their communities. With the aim of making the needs of young people visible within the community, the Center for Democracy Foundation launched the project “Your City – Your Voice” (2025–2026).

What is our goal?

We seek to increase the participation of young people (aged 18–30) and local civil society organizations (CSOs) in local-level development planning processes and in the adoption of public policies relevant to youth.

How do we achieve this?

• by increasing understanding of public policy planning and development processes,
• by identifying youth priorities within specific reform areas,
• by improving institutional mechanisms for the participation of young people and CSOs through the localization of the youth policy labs model.

What are the concrete steps?

Through dialogue between young people and decision-makers, recommendations and measures are formulated for local self-government development plans and public policy documents. Through an advocacy campaign, consideration of these proposals at the institutional level is ensured, along with the potential for their adoption.

Niš, Subotica, Vranje

We are building a network of local partners and working with young people and civil society organizations in Subotica, Niš, and Vranje, with a focus on the following areas:

• youth employment (Niš),
• cultural policy (Subotica),
• sexual and reproductive health (Vranje).

What do young people and local communities gain?

• Through the development of knowledge, skills, and cross-sectoral cooperation, we empower 90 young people and 20 CSOs for active and effective participation in the creation and monitoring of public policies;
• Through the youth policy lab model, we formulate recommendations and encourage their consideration and potential adoption within local self-government units;
• Through active participation in youth policy labs, public campaigns, and cooperation with institutions, we increase the influence and visibility of young people and CSOs in public policy decision-making processes.

What long-term change are we contributing to?

Through structured and long-term inclusion of young people and CSOs at the local level, we contribute to the sustainable improvement of decision-making processes and public policy development in Serbia, in line with European values and standards.

We expand our impact by sharing the knowledge gained, achievements, and examples of good practice with other youth organizations, local institutions, citizens, public institutions, activists, and the media.

The project “Your City – Your Voice” is implemented within the project “EU National Resource Centre for civil society in Serbia” of the Belgrade Open School, financially supported by the European Union.

Center for Democracy Foundation