IYTT in Brussels
22 October 2024
IYTT showcase an example on how youth can voice people and transform their ideas to policy proposals
When Brussels gathers to talk about youth empowerment in democracy and policy processes, the IYTT is there. On October 7, Region Västra Götaland organized the seminar “Involving Young People in Policy Making Processes and Democracy Building” in their Brussels office, considering the EU Regions and Cities Week. The Cultural Affairs Committee of the region presented their new Young Developer program which calls on young individuals to consult the committee on possibilities of youth engagement in their processes. Three Young Developers presented their pioneer work of the last year and the handbook they authored for further development of the program.
The IYTT Director Urban Strandberg and I (Fabian Wiek) were invited as speakers, to present the work of the IYTT and the results of Summer Camp pilot workshops, held in Malmö and Oldenburg this summer, as part of the Speak Up project which is funded by Interreg North Sea and Co-funded by the European Union. Representatives of regions and cities from all over Europe and from the European Commission attended the seminar to learn about innovative forms of youth engagement. The IYTT presented them tangible methods of involving youth not only to represent themselves but also to voice the needs of all citizens and to tackle the policy challenges at local level.
By combining a compressed version of the International Youth Conference format and the citizen centric Open Chair Democracy Talks method invented by the IYTT Youth Fellows, the Summer Camp workshop pilots offer a practical concept for cities to call on their young citizens to come up with innovative and practical solutions on a local governance level. The attendees were also introduced to and provided with copies of the IYTT Handbook for Innovative Democracy. The presentation was met by curious questions and positive feedback, showcasing that the IYTT continues to inspire the process of youth empowerment and policy making.
The IYTT also utilized the opportunity of visiting Brussels to strengthen its network in the EU policy environment. Urban and I (Fabian) met up with a team of Carnegie Europe for a fruitful exchange on current projects and possible synergies for future collaboration.
Fabian Wiek, Youth Fellow, IYTT
