MODE ON : ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP
Start date: Oct 15, 2014,
End date: Feb 14, 2015
PROJECT
FINISHED
"Mode on : Active Citizenship" originated from a need for young people to take more active role in society. In the current period, marked by austerity, job losses, high unemployment and increasing social challenges across Europe, it is vital that young people are not lost in a feeling of uncertainty. Therefore, this project aimed to instill a sense of responsibility, belonging and direction for young people and to empower their engagement with democratic processes. This was achieved through empowering active youth leaders, young people and youth workers by bringing them together and offering a platform for debate, discussion and creativity. Empowering these people was the first step to tackling the core issues of this project of youth participation.
The multinational approach was in line with the Erasmus + programme, and allowed all 6 promoters to share ideas and to mobilize the skills and tools necessary to motivate young people in becoming more aware of their rights as young citizens of Europe. The outcome focused on reaching people with fewer opportunities and those that were most vulnerable in society, as such, the promoters were also selected based on their ability to reach this demographic of society.
AIM: The main aim of this training course was to facilitate the development and implementation of innovative and involving projects for youth participation at local, regional and national level across Europe.
The main OBJECTIVES of the project were the following:
• To develop the participants understanding of the key principles of youth participation;
• To develop a common understanding of participation and explore instruments for its promotion among groups of young people who have fewer opportunities in civil society or youth activities at local and regional level;
• To develop an understanding of the relationship between concepts of citizenship, participation, human rights, democracy and civil society;
• To get familiar with various concepts and methodologies for developing youth initiatives;
• To improve participants’ skills in project-management (related to participation projects);
• To identify the added value of bilateral participation processes between public authorities and youth workers/youth organisations;
• To develop participants’ competence in using the revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life /publication of Council of Europe/
• To encourage exchange of good practices on building and management of youth participation projects;
• To develop new tools and ideas for following up and developing existing projects.
The following elements were tackled by the training:
- Concept of civil society and democracy;
- Active participation and democratic education;
- European Charter on Youth Participation on local and regional level;
- Current needs and project development analysis;
- Developing project ideas for youth initiatives.
The training course fitted into the priorities and objectives of the Erasmus + Programme. The project contributed to young people’s active citizenship and their European citizenship in particular and promoted European cooperation. Moreover, it promoted recognition of non-formal education. Bridging and linking youth participation with rural development gave additional and advanced tools in addressing challenges faced in each country/community and global challenges; assisted in raising awareness and mobilizing young people around those issues. It was directed towards creating possibilities for enhancing the prospect for long-term collaboration.
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