Seminar / Conference
18-22 April 2018 | Larnaca, Cyprus
This Forum is an initiative of the Erasmus+ National Agency of Cyprus and its Partner Institutions in an effort to strengthen cooperation in the EuroMed area.
The topics of Youth Participation and Active Citizenship align with the European Youth Strategy, as well as the National Youth Strategy (NYS) which is being implemented by the Youth Board Cyprus (National Agency of the Erasmus+ YiA Programme in Cyprus) for the period 2017-2022. The NYS of the Youth Board of Cyprus perceives young people as valuable citizens who can actively and creatively contribute to the development and prosperity of their local community, country, and to global advancement. Young people’s participation in policy formulation, implementation and evaluation are core values of the NYS. This participatory approach also ensures that policy responses meet the needs and challenges of young people and that the youth dimension is reflected in policy making and action planning.
Cyprus has its distinguished geographic location in the EuroMed area and is adept in playing an active role in the further development of youth participation and active citizenship in the wider region. For this reason, the Forum will bring together representatives from both European and South-Mediterranean countries, with a core interest in strengthening participation, in particular of young people, and in further promoting the concepts of citizenship and democracy, comprising the development of an understanding of the EU’s values with neighbouring countries.
The importance of enhancing cooperation in the EuroMed area is based on the shared history of the Euro-Mediterranean neighbouring countries, which face a collective reality and a joint future in the region. Therefore, the Forum emphasizes 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, such that channels of cooperation and targeted action are enhanced.
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. Therefore, we believe that youth work, youth educational programmes (formal and non-formal), community interventions, national and local development strategies are required to support the process of sustainable participation. The Forum will highlight practices and tools that support young people so that they can actively partake in their communities.
Objectives of the Forum
● Contributing to a better understanding of participation and active citizenship in the Programme and South-Mediterranean countries;
● Motivating young people to take an active role in their communities;
● Promoting the value of cooperation in the EuroMed area;
● Raising awareness of the key competences for and through participation;
● Fostering collaboration among different players present at the Forum.
The Forum will also be an opportunity to address questions on youth participation through connecting the theoretical part with the participants’ local realities.
Methodology
The Forum will last 3 full days, from 18 (arrival day) to 22 (departure day) of April 2018, with around 60 participants. The Forum’s methodology is based on the non-formal learning approach (i.e. collective learning, group and panel discussions, showcases, inputs from experts and policy makers) and will offer space to closely engage participants in sharing their practices, tools, experiences, and relevant resources.
A group of 60 Junior Ambassadors, young students from Cyprus participating at the European Parliament Ambassador School programme, will participate on the 2nd day of the Forum.
Participant Profile
Participants must be at least 18 years of age and must:
● come from Programme and South-Mediterranean countries;
● be youth workers/youth leaders (or young people) interested in being active in their communities;
● be representatives of civil society, youth organisations and sports clubs working with young people;
● be representatives of local authorities, especially those who work on improving citizenship education;
● be representatives of educational institutions interested in developing youth participation and active citizenship.
The Forum will be conducted in the English language, apart from a small session which will be carried out in Greek and for which interpretation will be provided.
https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/european-training-calendar/training/euro-med-youth-forum-sustainable-participation-and-active-citizenship.7078/
