1. Youth involvement in the decision making process

2. EuroDEMOS (Community Leaders within European Background) is an association of human rights defence, civic school of volunteer involvement, training and promotion at local, national and international level of young opinion leaders, by means of applicative programs of European interest, having 21 years of volunteer civic constant activity. EuroDEMOS Association is the first who, have concerned with promotion of important role of the youngsters involved in civic-political life, for the development of the democratic society. Youth involvement in the decision making process

3. Background information Youth involvement in the decision making process

4. A very important conclusion that EuroDEMOS Association reached in 21 years of activity, after analyzing the consequences of the activities of youth involvement in the decision-making process is the fact that the increasing of youth involvement in the decision-making process is an essential step in achieving sustainable development of the communities. Also the civic involvement raises the efficiency at studying and the level of social responsibility and respect towards the democratic values. Unfortunately, youth do not know the advantages and necessity of their involvement in the decision-making process and they are not enough encouraged by their communities to get involve. Youth involvement in the decision making process is very active in the election period. After election youth don’t represent anymore a priority because the political parties don’t have strategies of constant activities concerning the formation and involvement activities of youth in the decision process between elections. Youth involvement in the decision making process

5. EuroDEMOS Association analysed the involvement of young people in the decision making process through political involvement, NGOs civic activity, mass-media. The conclusions were Civic and political participation of young people is relatively low. Most of them declare that they don’t participate at activities of civic or political interest because they don’t know the opportunities opened by this type of activity. The proportion of young people that are part of an association is maintained at a low level. The young people expect from associations possibilities of personal affirmation and the offering of the framework for pleasant spending of free time but most are oriented toward the informal group of friends as a form of association. Over half of young people aren’t willing to participate as volunteers of some non governmental organizations; over a third of young people manifest their availability volunteering activities, meanwhile just a small part of those actually participate in actions made by NGO’s. Youth involvement in the decision making process

6. In most cases, youth express a total lack of interest towards the political life, both speaking of it in the local level, and at national or European level through the attitude of non involvement in no sorts of manifestation connected to this political domain; moreover, the data indicates a major lack of interest towards the political life concerning objectively all social levels, these representing approximately two thirds of the youth. In media it is a low level of involvement of youth because of the modest remuneration and nowadays mass-media cannot offer the space of expression as the young generation is dreaming on. Youth involvement in the decision making process

7. Lately, the importance of the cooperation between youth and authorities and youth involvement in the decision making process is increasingly supported at international level by specific policies and strategies. We can mention White Paper on Youth – A New Impetus For European Youth, European Youth Pact, The EU Youth Strategy (2010 - 2018), Plan D – for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate, programmatic documents that promotes participation and empowering youth through cooperation at all levels of the society. The structured dialogue is also a useful tool of the European Commission used to involve young people in decision making process through debate, dialogue and cooperation with relevant social actors and authorities. The cooperation between authorities and young people is essential to achieve the stage of youth policies at local, national or international level but also in the implementation of these policies. Youth people should assume both stages: to transmit the problems faced by the young generation and to get involved in the decision making process but also the active participation in implementing these policies through specific activities. Youth involvement in the decision making process

9. What do we propose? Correct promotion from the authorities of the importance and the major role that the youth involvement plays in the decision process. The recommendation and following of the materialization of recommendation from the part of Council of Europe in its countries about the law making of some applicable rights for youth that get involved in necessary community interest activities will lead to the stop of the harassment and the social discrimination of youth involved. Promotion of the European Council Charter about the importance of youth involvement in the decision process represents a very important support for the activities of the NGO’s with youth activities as the EuroDEMOS and Kasta Morrely organizations are. Youth involvement in the decision making process

10. Founding project - general information EuroDEMOS Association organized from 26th of May - 06th of June 2008, Iasi, Romania the international project “Youth in the decision-making process”. The project promotes the Revised European Charter on The Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe. The participants found out, learned and saw practically the importance and possibilities of youth to involve in the decision- making process by NGOs, media and political sector. Youth involvement in the decision making process

11. Financier Financier European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe Partners and collaborators Partners and collaborators Information Office of Council of Europe Bucharest Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Development, Public Works and Housing Central Electoral Office from Bucharest Romanian Embassy from and Azerbaijan Authority for Aliens Bucharest Kasta Morrely Association County Youth Directorate Iasi Ezareni – entertainment resort Political parties Buna Ziua Iasi – newspaper Flacara Iasului – newspaper Vox – T Radio Youth involvement in the decision making process

12. The main seminar issues - Youth psychology - The decision-making process: opportunities, challenges, necessary skills - Involvement in the community’s civic and political life as method to accede to the decision-making process - Real involvement possibilities for youth offered by the local, national and European communities - Youth access to the decision-making process - Creation of a European network to promote and support the youth involvement in decision-making process Youth involvement in the decision making process

13. Results of the project During the project it was analyzed and discussed by the youth leaders of the 12 partner states, the situation of youth involvement in various social spheres of the decision-making process such as civic (NGO), political, media involvement. As applicative part of this project, EuroDEMOS Association had the most International Observers accredited in Romania (16 international observers) youngsters representative of the 12 states of Council of Europe, who monitored the development of elections in Iasi. The project also had as result the creation of the European Network to Promote Youth in the Decision- Making Process INVOLVED YOUTH COALITION. The partners have come to an agreement on the importance to create an European youth network to promote youth involvement in the decision-making process coming from the fact of being aware of the necessity to increase the number of youth trained to know how to involve youth in activities of active participation in decision-making process. Youth involvement in the decision making process

15. NETWORK TO PROMOTE INVOLVEMENT IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS „INVOLVED YOUTH COALITION” Mision: To develop and increase the successful active involvement of youth in the decision making process at local, national and European level, in all the social spheres. Purpose: To create and develop an European network of youth leaders trained and prepared to contribute to the youth involvement in the decision making process. Objectives: To encourage and facilitate directly through concrete projects and activities the active involvement of youth in all the levels of the decision making process Train and involve youth leaders and youth workers as active factors for increasing youth involvement in the decision making process Contribute to the education and training of young peoples to be able to get involved efficiently and successfuly in the decision making process Promote among youth a clear and positive image about what involvement means, about opportunities, advantages and benefits of volunteer civical participation Develop partnerships and colaborations with all the important social factors for the active involvement in supporting youth in the decision making process Facilitate the comunication, sharing and transfer at European and international level of the knowledge and expertise level of the parteners needed to develop youth involvement. Youth involvement in the decision making process

16. Reference documents: Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life - Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe of the Youth sector of the Council of Europe and European Union Youth involvement in the decision making process

19. PROJECTS Gallery PROJECTS Gallery contains projects initiated, developed or in which members of the Network were involved

20. USEFUL LINKS USEFUL LINKS contains more information useful for the youth and them organizations

21. How to become a member Members EUROPEAN NETWORK TO PROMOTE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS „INVOLVED YOUTH COALITION” can be all types of organisms(NGOs, institutions, authorities etc.) which conduct activities related to youth work at local, regional, national or European level. They must to subscribe to the mission and objectives the Involved Youth Coalition. You may apply to become a Member of Involved Youth Coalition by filling the application form the Coalition web page: 1. Please fill in the form completely. Please note that applications that are not complete will not be accepted. 2. You will be notified when your application has been approved. We look forward to promote and develop youth involvement in the decision making process! Youth involvement in the decision making process

22. To contact us To contact us for future partnerships at European level

23. T H A N K Y O U ! MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN FIND on the web page of the I N V O L V E D Y O U T H C O A L I T I O N http://www.involved-youth-coalition.com http://www.involved-youth-coalition.com Youth involvement in the decision making process