On December 20th, 2022, HUB NICOSIA’s project manager, Dora Heracleous, made a special appearance on a highly acclaimed radio program called Something for the Road (ΚάτιγιατονΔρόμο) of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.
Ms. Heracleous discuss the scope and goals of the NEUEYT project highlighting the importance of encouraging young people to actively participate in democratic and civic life by enhancing opportunities and access to decision-making.
Moreover, Ms. Heracleous mentioned some of the initiatives that are currently implemented and focused on how they aspire to enhance youth active participation taking into consideration recent technological advances that allow a different kind of participation that is closer to youngsters today.
In addition to that, Ms. Heracleous mentioned that the young participants of the initiatives teach us a lot, and we have a lot to learn from them if we open our minds and actively listen to their suggestions.
Based on that, she was asked to comment on the main reasons that prohibit youth active participation. Ms Heracleous mentioned that young people do not see themselves reflected in the decisions taken for them. They understand policymaking at a macro-level which is not feasible to approach or influence. In that sense, the innovation of the NEUEYT project is the fact that it puts the micro-level, the local at the heart of its actions, where young people see themselves and feel that their voices are heard and their opinions have value.
Something for the Road (ΚάτιγιατονΔρόμο) of the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation
Following the local workshop with young people and education stakeholders in which they were introduce to the Six Steps methodology, youngsters designed and implemented their intervention plans along with the support of local stakeholders in Cyprus. The intervention plans focused on issues that are relevant to the realities of youngsters at the particular moment of developing their strategies to raise awareness and encourage more youngsters to participate in democratic life. The topics that were selected were as follows:
Raising awareness about sustainability and on the multiple ways they can transform their Christmas holiday presents into a celebration of conscious and environmentally aware solutions;
Raising awareness about young people’s reproductive health and the stigma around discussions on the matter in our society;
The educational system in Cyprus and how today’s learning and teaching environments negatively affect young people’s mental health.
Young people are currently concluding the implementation of their intervention plans with great success!! Stay tuned for more information!
Yesterday our partners from e-Trikala hosted the first mobility event in Greece. Young people and stakeholders from Italy and Cyprus selected by HUB Nicosia and Glocal Factory were selected with an aim to discuss on topics such as youth participation in democratic processes, the outcomes and achievements of the NEUEYT initiatives implemented by e-Trikala and participant experience behind it.
They visited the Mayor house and meeting with the advisor of the Trikala Mayor, as well as a visit to the Cultural center of Trikala and meeting with the vice mayor for culture, education and sport of Trikala. Later the agenda continued with open discussion between all participants and wrap up of the day.
E-trikala partners created infographic for visual presentation of the event, you can check it HERE.
The NEUEYT (Novel framework for democratic participation and engagement of Underrepresented European Youngsters) project is a European initiative aimed at promoting the involvement of young people in democratic processes. The project is focused on bridging the gap in youth democratic participation, especially for those who are underrepresented in the political arena. As part of this initiative, an online stakeholder meeting was organized by FORIS, the project’s organizing partner, on 22nd December 2022.
The stakeholder meeting was attended by eight stakeholders who are actively involved in the field of education and training. The meeting was also attended by international stakeholders who shared their experiences and discussed the NEUEYT project’s objectives in countries where it has not been disseminated. Mariaelena Romanini presented eight initiatives and the scope of the NEUEYT project in detail. The meeting aimed to introduce stakeholders to each other, and define usability objectives based on NEUEYT objectives.
The discussions during the meeting revolved around how various stakeholders could adopt NEUEYT initiatives and adapt them to the national context. The stakeholders also shared information about the state of youth democratic participation in their countries. The meeting was a strategic event, providing an opportunity to collect information and discuss the possibilities of promoting youth democratic participation through NEUEYT initiatives.
The meeting concluded with considerable discussion about future involvement of stakeholders in the NEUEYT initiatives. Many stakeholders expressed their willingness to participate in mobilities as participants and engage in activities with stakeholders and young people from Adger and PistesSolidaires. The next meeting will be organized with stakeholders to present NEUEYT initiatives in more detail and support them in replicating the initiatives in the local context.
The ongoing communication with stakeholders will be organized through telephone and email, ensuring that the stakeholders are kept up-to-date with the project’s news. The NEUEYT project is an important initiative that can create a positive impact on youth democratic participation, and the stakeholder meeting has brought us one step closer to achieving the project’s objectives.
On November 4th, 2022, FORIS organized an event in Ferrara with the goal of building a fairer region. With 25 participants from various organizations such as Center, Web Radio Giardino, cultural association ‘Oltre le Mura’, and the social promotion association ‘Ultimo Baluardo’, the group discussed the right to work and design freedom linked to the different opportunities available. Igor Taruffi, the newly appointed councillor for Welfare, Youth Policy, and Internal Areas, emphasized the importance of translating the inputs received during the process into concrete administrative acts.
During the workshop for representatives of Local Authorities, Chiara Pancaldi presented the NEUEYT project, highlighting the importance of youth participation in democratic life. Discussions focused on topics such as identity, sociability, NEETs and the labor market, networking, communication between institutions and public users, and the need for larger gathering spaces. Stakeholders also discussed the importance of non-formal and informal educational activities to promote democratic values and reduce the NEET phenomenon.
Moving forward, the group agreed on the need for more local initiatives to engage young people in e-participation in democratic life, as well as blended activities and more local events for youth on democratic participation. More meetings and conferences will be organized on this matter as well. The NEUEYT project provides a novel framework for democratic participation and engagement of underrepresented European youngsters, and its presentations and discussions have highlighted the need for more youth involvement in the democratic process.
The members of the presidium of Trikala’s Youth Council had their first direct and substantial meeting with the Mayor of Trikala, Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou.
On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, the council of the Municipal Youth Council visited Mr. Papastergiou at the Town Hall. During this meeting, it was jointly decided that in the following weeks there will be a joined meeting during which the Major will present and discuss with the youth council all issues, projects and future perspectives of the Municipality. Mr. Papastergiou emphasized the importance of youth participation in this council in co-shaping the future of the city.
