Several living obstacles of young people with different social, intercultural and inter-religious, economic, educational and geographical backgrounds (such as NEET youth, refugees, migrants, unemployed youth) limit their involvement in public processes, including decision-making at local level. Taking into account the critical context in Europe and in order to reach young people of different backgrounds, youth workers and professionals involved in youth work need to be well prepared for new challenges. They need to improve their competences, increase their abilities to reach young people of different backgrounds, to support and increase their involvement in decision making at local level. Young people are the Key Actors in municipalities, they will create future circumstances and development of the place where they are living. From this context emerged, there will be organized the training course for youth workers “Youth Actors in Decision making” and it sets following objectives – to increase the quality of youth work, to improve the competences and abilities of youth workers in the field of youth participation in decision making at local level, to increase the capacity of youth workers to use effective youth participation structures, instruments, methodologies that enable young people from different social, intercultural and inter-religious, economic, educational and geographical backgrounds to engage as Active Actors in the designing of solutions for their community challenges.At the same time that will allow our local and regional authorities to address more closely the needs and interests of young people.

 

The project will involve 36 participants (youth workers, youth leaders, municipality officers) from 8 different countries in Europe (Latvia, Romania, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Poland). During 5 days in Latvia, participants, based on non formal education methodologies, will promote their professional development, improve knowledge, competencies, abilities about the theoretical background of Youth Participation and different practical participative methodologies, which will help to involve Youth Actors – young people of different backgrounds in public and decision making processes at local level in participants countries. The training will improve participants’ competences in creating their own action plans and strategies about involving young people in processes at local level. Intercultural learning competence, including empathy, tolerance in professional contexts and support young people in acquiring intercultural competences will be improved. Participants will share their experiences, best examples of youth participation and this way they will learn from each other and raise better understanding of youth work on international level.