The organisation and practice of local youth work needs …

to stimulate and support young people to be active citizens and exercise influence in society, including taking part in political decision-making.

We know from research that young people are interested in societal issues and politics, even when not engaged in party politics. Their voices are also crucial in order to inform politics on their needs, experiences and ideas, as well on how structures and processes should be designed in order to open up for young people’s political engagement.

Even if youth workers sometimes are asked, or feel the need, to speak on behalf of young people, they must always bear in mind that this is a second-best solution and strive to be replaced by the young people themselves.

Do you agree on what this means in practice?
Do you agree on to what degree youth work meets this bullet point?
Here you find the questions you need to discuss to find out!

If you think that this is something you need to work on, click the “Add to development agenda” button below. You will then find your agenda on your personal page and be able to start a development process.

Please note!
If you start a development process related to this bullet point you will find the below questions also under the page “Discuss and assess”. There you will also be able to take notes.

Questions to discuss

Does local youth work stimulate and support young people to exercise influence in society, including taking part in political decision-making?
Is local youth work policy, organisation and practice co-decided with young people?
- Are these co-decisions taken together with all young people concerned, or only with those already active in youth work?
Is local youth work sometimes speaking/acting on behalf of young people, instead of supporting them to speak for themselves?
What are the risks of not involving young people in local decision-making?

References & tips

“The active participation of young people in decisions and actions at local and regional level is essential if we are to build more democratic, inclusive and prosperous societies. Participation in the democratic life of any community is about more than voting or standing for election, although these are important elements. Participation and active citizenship is about having the right, the means, the space and the opportunity and where necessary the support to participate in and influence decisions and engage in actions and activities so as to contribute to building a better society.”
Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, 2015
The European Youth Forum has gathered a lot of information on young people’s participation and civil engagement on their web page.
Democracy Reloading is a strategic Erasmus+ Youth/European Solidarity Corps National Agency cooperation project that started in 2015 with the aim to empower municipal workers to engage young people in decision-making.
Dypall is a European network of civil society organisations, municipalities and research institutions dedicated to improving democracy through youth participation.