Young people, civil society organisations and local stakeholders working together to shape stronger and more inclusive communities in Niš, Vranje and Subotica
Building local partnerships for youth participation
Over the past several months, the Center for Democracy Foundation has organised a series of meetings in Niš, Vranje and Subotica with local stakeholders and interested community actors as part of the project “Your City – Your Voice”. The meetings aimed to lay the groundwork for the more active participation of young people in local development planning processes and public policy development.
These meetings marked the beginning of building local networks of cooperation and bringing together young people, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders around issues that are particularly important for young people in each of the three communities. In Niš, discussions focused on youth employment; in Vranje, on the sexual and reproductive health of young people; while in Subotica, participants explored challenges and opportunities related to cultural policy and youth participation in cultural life.
Learning from existing Youth Policy Lab experiences
Participants were introduced to the experiences of the Regional Cooperation Council in developing and applying the structured dialogue model with and for young people, as well as to the results achieved by the Center for Democracy Foundation through regional and national Youth Policy Labs. The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss how these experiences could contribute to strengthening local institutional mechanisms for youth participation and support the localisation of the Youth Policy Lab model.
Identifying priorities and preparing the next phase
A particular value of the meetings was the opportunity to identify youth priorities within the selected policy areas, map key local challenges and establish partnerships that will support the next phase of the project. In the coming months, young people will take part in training programmes and Youth Policy Lab processes designed to strengthen their understanding of public policy planning and development processes, enhance their participation skills and support them in formulating recommendations for improving local public policies.
Strengthening youth participation in decision-making
Through the project “Your City – Your Voice”, the Center for Democracy Foundation seeks to increase the participation of young people and local civil society organisations in decision-making processes that affect their communities. By developing knowledge, skills and cross-sectoral cooperation, the project empowers young people to engage actively and effectively in the creation and monitoring of public policies while contributing to the development of sustainable participation mechanisms at the local level.
Ultimately, the project contributes to the sustainable improvement of decision-making processes and public policy development in Serbia through the structured and long-term inclusion of young people and civil society organisations in local communities.
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
