Recap: What did we do on the first online training of Youth4Change?

The training brought together facilitators from across the Youth4Change partnership to explore practical ways of making democracy more accessible, inclusive and meaningful for young people. It was organised and moderated by JKPeV, the University of Almería and OBESSU, with the support of facilitators from OBESSU, InCo Molfetta, the University of Almería, La Guajira, MANO Europe, JKPeV and us - IDEA.

Throughout the training, we stepped into the role of learners, experiencing different interactive methodologies before reflecting on how we could adapt and use these approaches in their own work as facilitators. This allowed us to explore each activity from two perspectives: first, as participants experiencing the methodology themselves, and then as facilitators considering how to bring it into their work with young people.

The training featured four different activities, each approaching youth participation and democratic engagement from a different perspective:

• Democracy in Practice, facilitated by the University of Almería, encouraged participants to analyse everyday situations through the lens of rights, responsibilities and opportunities to have their voices heard.

• Build Your Ideal Democracy, facilitated by us, IDEA, invited participants to design their own democratic city and put their ideas to the test when facing challenges such as fake news and low youth voter participation. During the activity, our very own Community Officer, Nusa, guided participants through the exercise, encouraging them to reflect on different societal values, rank their importance and consider what makes a democratic society work.

• Town Hall in a Minute, facilitated by JKPeV, challenged participants to vote, discuss and vote again as they decided how to invest €100,000 in a project for young people. The activity demonstrated how discussion and collective decision-making can shape community priorities.

• From Tokenism to Meaningful Participation, Made Easy, facilitated by OBESSU, introduced Hart’s Participation Scale as a way of distinguishing between purely symbolic participation and genuine youth engagement.

Each methodology offered a different opportunity to reflect on what meaningful participation looks like and how young people can become more actively involved in democratic processes.

The training was not only about discovering new activities, but also about understanding how to use them to create more meaningful opportunities for young people. By experiencing the methodologies themselves, we reflected on the role of facilitators in encouraging dialogue, critical thinking and active involvement. Ultimately, young people should not only have a place in the room but also a voice in the decisions being made. Creating opportunities for them to express their opinions, exchange perspectives and influence the outcomes is an important step towards more inclusive and participatory democracies.

We will continue with the second part of the Training of Trainers tomorrow - stay tuned!

About Youth4Change: An international cooperation initiative across Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Belgium, Italy, and Spain dedicated to developing innovative civic education resources across Europe.