During its 47th Session (15-17 October 2024), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Rejuvenating Politics initiative aiming at promoting democratic principles and human rights among young people through their participation in public life and decision-making processes at local and regional levels. The initiative has been mutually enriching; the Congress welcomed the fact that, over these 10 years, youth delegates have addressed the Congress and directly contributed to all fields of its action- including youth participation, climate change, the environment, promoting diversity, rural regions, the right to water and the impact of artificial intelligence.
To raise awareness of the initiative, the Congress is giving a voice to three youth delegate alumni who explain how the Council of Europe values have impacted their personal lives, including their careers.
“As a youth delegate to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, I gained valuable experience, knowledge, and improved my skills. I actively use them in my everyday work,” said Matej Stefánik from Slovakia, today working on digital transformation, including co-operation with the Council of Europe.
Iva Tsolova-Kutsarova, Congress youth delegate alumnus from Bulgaria and now Chief Executive Officer at JAMBA, an organisation helping people with disabilities access the job market, said that as a youth delegate, she “had the unique opportunity from an early age to dive deeper into the world of diplomacy” and that the experience helped her “better understand how young people can play an active role in promoting democracy and human rights.”
Željko Vukša-Fejzić, Advisory Board President of IRI’s Generation Democracy Network and Youth Commission Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, underlined that “having the chance to talk with colleagues from all countries in the Council of Europe makes me want to say that every young person in the Council of Europe countries should have this opportunity. Whether it's in the plenary session or debating across different committees, it's truly a transformative thing.”
To date, 419 young people have benefitted from this programme. They have implemented 268 projects in around 343 municipalities across all of Europe.
