Between November 2022 and February 2023, participants of the Youth Policy School Project, in Istanbul's Esenyurt district, learned through the Council of Europe’s UChange game how to engage as a citizen in decision-making. The initiative was organised by the Argüden Governance Academy, Esenyurt Citizen Assembly and the Esenyurt Alternative Culture and Art Association, in the framework of the National Democratic Institute's "Biz de Varız" Program.
The target groups of the “Biz de Variz” programm are young people between the ages of 18-30 wishing to make their district sustainable and liveable. During four separate training sessions the participants learned about good governance, policy making, advocacy and campaigning. The aim was to develop the capacity of civil society organizations and citizen assemblies enabling them to enhance participatory democracy practices through training programs and peer learning activities. In addition, a customized guide prepared in Türkiye, for young people aged 18-30 years old, helped them to improve their civil participation culture.
During the training the Council of Europe’s UChange game was used to promote citizens’ interest and awareness in political decision-making. With the guidance of trainers that had graduated from the Council of Europe School of Participatory Democracy, the participants were divided into four groups and challenged to develop a policy idea at the local level. The UChange process allowed the participants to better understand the decision-making process and to develop their own policy proposals. The resulting policy ideas included providing free health screenings for students with visual, hearing and speech impairments at primary and secondary school levels, improving access to education for individuals with disabilities, creating more green public spaces, and offering different options for dormitory living in Esenyurt. At the end of the training, participants were equipped with the knowledge about good governance concepts and policy-making processes and had a better understanding how they could engage themselves to improve their community.
