International seminar “Youth participation in social communities and in democratic processes in South Europe and Euro Mediterranean Countries”

What do we mean when we talk about democracy? Do we have the same ideas, structures, values and visions in mind? How are our concepts of democracy influenced by the specific conditions of our culture, our history and our society? Which chances do we take when we strengthen democracy? Which choices do we make?

The EU Youth Programmes, as Erasmus+ and ESC, can contribute to foster youth participation in democratic life and systems, and make young people acquiring social, civic and intercultural competences, by promoting democratic values and active citizenship.

The seminar will focus on the role of policy makers and active organisations in supporting young people, considered to be significant players in bridging the two sides of the Mediterranean sea. Within the geopolitical context of the EuroMed area, cooperation becomes a greater necessity for sustaining young people’s participation through alternative methods, focusing particularly on the complexities and challenges within their local realities.

The transnational seminar can offer the space to share practices around youth participation and involvement of young people in democratic processes, among organisations and institutions which deal with initiatives and projects on these topics; and will go deeper on reflection on methods within European Youth programmes and their impact in promoting democratic values and active citizenship among young people.

The seminar will take place in Catania (Sicily) from the 17th of November (arrival date) to the 21st of November (departure day)

Aim of the seminar

MAIN AIM: To reinforce the role and impact of Erasmus+ Youth and ESC in the promotion of youth participation, civic engagement and active citizenship.

The seminar will inspire participants to build up capacities, to take over responsibility in local communities and to continue their engagement in civil society, and to reinforce cooperation of civil society organisations and institution in South Europe and Mediterranean countries on the topic of youth participation and democratic processes.

The main objectives are:

To foster more awareness about youth participation and the understanding of the concept of “meaningful youth participation (theories, methodologies, resources, tools, including the Youth Participation Strategy and Youth Participation Toolkit), and support strategic approaches and the exchange of practices, methods and tools in terms of cooperation between local authorities and civil society in the region;

To explore how to make more and better use of EU Youth Programmes to strengthen youth participation, underlining the full potential of Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps;

To offer an opportunity for exchange among several stakeholders and develop future actions and strategies;

To support and empower participants in their future work on the topic of youth participation at different levels.

Target Group

The Seminar will welcome up to 70 participants: those coming from the Youth South Network (Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye) and from EuroMed Countries are prioritised. They may be professionals, volunteers, employees or representatives of youth, volunteering and civil society organizations, NGOs, youth movements, youth forums, national and local youth councils, National Agencies for E+ Youth and Sport and European Solidarity Corps, with a core interest in strengthening youth participation, from a Euro Mediterranean Countries perspective.

The seminar’s methodology is based on the non-formal learning approach (i.e. collective learning, group and panel discussions, workshops, inputs from experts and policy makers) and will offer space to closely engage participants in sharing their practices, tools, experiences, and relevant resources.

The Seminar will be conducted in the English language.

Unless specified otherwise, the hosting NA or SALTO of this offer will organise the accommodation and covers the costs for accommodation and food.

Erasmus+ Youth Programme countries, Southern Mediterranean countries

English

This project is financed by the participating National Agencies (NAs) of the Erasmus+ Youth and ESC Programmes. The participation fee varies from country to country. Please contact your National Agency or relevant SALTO Resource Centre (SALTO) to learn more about the participation fee for participants from your country.

Please contact your NA or relevant SALTO in order to know whether they would support your travel costs. If yes, after being selected, get in touch with your NA or SALTO again to learn more about the overall procedure to arrange the booking of your travel tickets and the reimbursement of your travel expenses.