The study visit “Local youth policy and democracy” is co-organised by the Council of Europe Youth Department and the Democracy Reloading Partnership of Erasmus+ national agencies and takes place between 28 October and 1 November 2024.
The study visit brings together 25 youth policy officers working for local authorities in the Council of Europe member states, as well as representatives of local youth councils and civil society.
The study visit aims to support local and regional authorities in designing and implementing participative youth strategies and structures at local level. The activity is organised in the context of the revision of the European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life to which the participants will also contribute and to the implementation of the Reykjavik Principles for Democracy.
The programme of the study visit features meetings with various divisions of the Youth Department and with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, as well as with the City of Strasbourg. Through a programme that is based on the principles of non-formal education, the participants will have the chance to learn more about the Council of Europe standards and institutions responsible for youth participation, reflect and share on how to advance it in their communities.
The activity is organised in the framework of the project Youth revitalising democracy and follows up on the first demand of the Call for Action (2022, Youth Action Week): “Independent and youth-led youth councils should be created and supported in every municipality in every Council of Europe member State. Participation in decision-making is a cornerstone of both democracy and human rights. ”
