APYP

Unemployed youth participation represents vivid issues at the EU level and particularly affects citizen’s daily life in the addressed countries.

The project Opportunities for Active Participation of young people aims at promoting young people participation in the construction of a tighter-knit, democratic, world-oriented and united Europe, tackling the challenge of youth unemployment as an “opportunity” to develop active citizenship and sense of ownership of the EU, whilst enhancing tolerance, solidarity and mutual understanding. The project presents a set of activities that grants young people the chance to interact – both at the local and at the European level – and offers them the occasion to “work” together towards a common aim.

The Project specific aim is to further improve the methodology of “citizens’ panels for young people” adding the “component” of youth unemployment.

It represents an unbiased platform where young people and other stakeholders gather information (with a bottom-up approach), debate, collect individual and collective opinions, formulate their views (duly guided and supported) and draft them in the form of recommendations for policy makers at the European level in the field of “youth unemployment”.

The ACTION foresees 7 steps, having an impact both at the local and at the European level. Following the partnership building phase and the selection of the theme, the process is planned as follows: 1. Training for citizen’s panels for young activators 2. Set-up of local citizens’ panels for young people 3. Local workshops 4. Open days at the local level 5. Production phase 6. Final publication 7. Evaluation and follow-up

The partners of the project are youth NGOs, local and regional authorities working with young people and youth clubs coming from 5 different countries – BULGARIA, SLOVENIA, ROMANIA, TURKEY and LITHUANIA - new EU Member States and Candidate country - where youth unemployment represents one of the most vivid issues on the national and European agenda.