povej naglas by moshr00m

Povej naglás! Say it out loud! Expresate! Izsakies skaļi!

Kazalo Uvod

O projektu Povej naglás!

Brez odstotka ni argumenta

Spoštovani gospod župan (pisma županu Občine Ajdovščina)

Iskanje prve zaposlitve je osemurni delovnik (zaposlovanje mladih)

Formalno:neformalno 3:1 (izobraževanje mladih)

Prosti čas je lep. Poskrbimo, da takšen tudi ostane. (prosti čas mladih)

Zdrav duh v zdravem telesu (zdravje mladih)

Delovanje občinske uprave in občinskega sveta

Kako do političnih odločevalcev?

Utrinki s srečanj udeležencev projekta Povej naglás!

Primer dobre prakse – Hiša mladih Ajdovščina

Projektni partner – Mladinski svet Ajdovščina

Projektni partner – Občina Ajdovščina

Program Mladi v akciji

Dodatek: Revidirana evropska listina o vključevanju mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje

Uvod Pravijo, da na mladih svet stoji, da je na mladih potrebno graditi, da so mladi naša prihodnost … Vse to drži, a do končnega uspeha in realizacije povedanega je še dolga pot vztrajnih posameznikov in skupin, za katerimi stojijo mladi s skupnimi interesi. Le vztrajnost, prizadevnost, trdo delo in konstantno pojavljanje v javnosti, ki bo mlade lahko prepoznala kot pomembne, bodo pripeljali do sveta, ki bo na mladih trdno stal in na njih gradil. Določene skupine mladih so bile v preteklosti že večkrat upoštevane, njihove posamezne želje so bile uresničene, a na splošno so mladi še vedno odrinjeni na stran in velikokrat je njihovo mnenje preslišano. Mladi morajo znotraj svojega lokalnega okolja, v katerem delujejo, doseči, da jih politika uvrsti na agendo svojega delovanja. Politiki in družba jih morajo vključiti v soodločanje pri zanje pomembnih temah, kot so stanovanja, zaposlovanje, prosti čas, izobraževanje in druge. Celotna lokalna skupnost se mora predvsem naučiti poslušati mlade, upoštevati njihove potrebe, interese in želje ter pri odločanju zagotoviti njihovo prisotnost in sodelovanje.

Ta publikacija je končni izdelek projekta Povej naglás, projekta mladih za demokracijo programa Mladi v akciji, katerega nosilec je Mladinski svet Ajdovščina. Namen projekta je bil skozi izvajanje različnih aktivnosti spodbuditi mlade in občinske uprave k sodelovanju. V projektu je Mladinski svet Ajdovščina sodeloval še s petimi partnerji iz treh držav: Občino Ajdovščina ter po dvema partnerjema iz Latvije in Španije. Zato v štirih jezikih napisana knjiga, v slovenščini, angleščini, španščini in latvijščini, predstavlja izdelek mladih iz treh lokalnih okolij, ki so istočasno izvajali enake aktivnosti. Tako da so povedali naglás. Zato da se jih je slišalo. Helena Harej, predsednica MSA

Mladi imajo možnost vplivati na mnenje lokalne skupnosti in političnih odločevalcev, zato je pomembno, da se organizirajo v različne interesne skupine. To so največkrat mladinske organizacije in društva, preko katerih uveljavljajo svoje interese in poskušajo uresničiti svoje želje in potrebe. Pomembno je, da mladi prepoznajo organe, preko katerih lahko uresničijo svoja pričakovanja, ter da je njihovo mnenje slišano in tudi upoštevano. Mladi morajo poznati pomen svojega soodločanja in prispevka družbi ter se vanjo aktivno vključevati in postati avtonomni državljani. Mladinske organizacije morajo prevzeti vlogo zastopnika interesov mladih ter jim najprej nuditi možnost izražanja in soodločanja znotraj organizacije, nato pa jih učiti oblikovanja in izražanja svojega mnenja, ki lahko pomembno vpliva na družbene spremembe in prispeva k družbenemu razvoju. Mlade morajo spodbujati k aktivnemu sodelovanju in jih vzgajati v avtonomne posameznike in aktivne državljane. Znotraj organizacij se mora ustvariti demokratično okolje, ki mlade spodbuja k izražanju svojega mnenja, ki je kasneje tudi upoštevano.

O projektu Povej naglás! Ajdovščina – Jelgava – Madrid: februar 2009 – april 2010 Ideja projekta se je razvila iz potreb mladih v občini Ajdovščina. Projekt je bil zasnovan tako, da je skupina mladih udeležencev v projektu sodelovala v dveh vlogah, kot pripravljavci aktivnosti, povezanih s projektom in kot aktivni udeleženci na vseh aktivnostih. Namen projekta je bil spodbuditi mlade in občinske uprave k medsebojnemu sodelovanju. Projekt je mlade spodbujal k dajanju mnenj občinskim upravam in odločevalcem glede zadev, ki se jih tičejo, medtem ko je lokalne odločevalce silil k upoštevanju mnenja mladih in obe strani navajal na pomembnost medsebojnega sodelovanja. S projektom smo mladim želeli pokazati in približati možnosti, s katerimi lahko izražajo svoja mnenja in preko katerih lahko pridejo do lokalnih odločevalcev ter tako vplivajo na njihovo mnenje in odločitve. Mladi so tako spoznali delovanje občinskega sveta in občinske administracije ter se seznanili s strukturami, preko katerih lahko pridejo do lokalnih odločevalcev. Predvsem pa je projekt želel mladim pokazati, da je za doseganje njihovih ciljev kot skupine potrebna aktivna udeležba v procesih odločanja. V projektu smo sodelovali s partnerji iz Jelgave (Latvija) in Madrida (Španija), ki so v svojih lokalnih okoljih istočasno izvajali enake aktivnosti, kot smo jih izvajali v Ajdovščini. Tako smo lahko pridobljene rezultate medsebojno primerjali in ugotavljali podobnosti ter razlike stanja in potreb mladih v treh različnih lokalnih okoljih. Eden od namenov projekta, ki ga je prineslo sodelovanje s partnerji iz

tujine, je bila tudi primerjava obstoječih mladinskih struktur v treh državah ter prikaz primerov dobrih praks mladinskega organiziranja v Evropi, kar smo si v vsaki državi partnerici na projektu na treh srečanjih udeležencev tudi ogledali. Skozi izvedbo različnih aktivnosti, vključenih v projekt, smo mlade spodbujali k aktivnemu državljanstvu, krepili smo medsebojno razumevanje in sodelovanje med mladimi iz različnih držav ter jih usmerjali k razvijanju kvalitetnega programa in aktivnosti za mlade. V projekt je bila posredno vključena tudi širša javnost, ki smo jo poskušali spodbuditi k organiziranosti na področju mladih ter jih spodbujati k aktivni soudeležbi. Projekt je bil vsebinsko razdeljen na več faz, ki so se medsebojno prepletale. V grobem je bilo prvo petmesečje namenjeno identifikaciji potreb mladih, v okviru katere smo izvedli naslednje aktivnosti: Analizo potreb mladih v lokalnem okolju, s katero smo ugotavljali, kako mladi preživljajo svoj prosti čas, koliko poznajo delujoče mladinske organizacije v svojem lokalnem okolju in kako se vanje vključujejo, o njihovih željah in potrebah v skupnosti. Mladinske tribune: izvedli smo več tematskih mladinskih tribun na teme zdravja mladih, dejavnosti mladih v prostem času ter njihovega zaposlovanja in izobraževanja.

»Moje pismo županu«: literarni natečaj za mlade smo pripravili z namenom, da mladi izrazijo svoja mnenja o lokalni politiki in stanju mladih v pismu županu. Zbrali smo vsa pisma in najboljših 10 % oddali županom. V okviru projekta smo izvedli pripravljalno srečanje ter tri srečanja udeležencev v Sloveniji, Latviji in Španiji, namenjena diskusiji in primerjavi izvedenih aktivnosti, ki so vzporedno potekale v vseh treh državah. Na srečanjih smo diskutirali tudi o položaju in potrebah mladih v posameznih lokalnih skupnostih ter o možnostih sodelovanja z lokalnimi odločevalci v posameznih državah. Po identificiranih potrebah mladih v sodelujočih lokalnih skupnostih je bistveni del projekta predstavljala druga faza projekta, ki je predstavljala posredovanje informacij lokalnim oblastem. V okviru druge faze smo izvedli naslednje aktivnosti: Udeležba mladih na seji občinskega sveta, kjer so udeleženci projekta svetnikom predstavili rezultate analiz in svetu že predlagali možnosti za rešitve identificiranih težav, kot so jih ugotovili skozi aktivnosti prve faze projekta.

zainteresirani diskutirali o tematikah, ki jih je v istem mesecu obravnaval občinski svet. Njihove rezultate glasovanj s povzetki razprave smo posredovali odločevalcem, ki so tako pred svojim glasovanjem imeli tudi argumentirano mnenje mladih. Proti koncu druge faze projekta, ki se je prepletala s tretjo, zaključno fazo, smo za zainteresirane mlade iz lokalnih skupnosti izvedli predstavitev možnosti, ki smo jih predhodno proučili z lokalnimi oblastmi, ter predstavili načine, kako lahko podajajo mnenja lokalnim oblastem. Ugotovili smo, da se mladi ne zavedajo načinov, kako lahko pristopijo k lokalni upravi oziroma politiki. Pomemben del projekta v tretji, zaključni fazi projekta je bila izdelava publikacije, ki je pred vami. Publikacija je pripravljena v vseh treh sodelujočih državah in v štirih jezikih (slovenščini, angleščini, latvijščini in španščini), od katerih sta slovenski in angleški del najpomembnejša in poleg spletnih informacij predstavljata poglaviten produkt projekta, ki razširja naš glas. Naglás.

Glede sodelovanja z občinsko upravo smo se dogovorili o vzpostavitvi dolgoročnega partnerstva med lokalnimi oblastmi in mladimi. Proučili smo možnosti sodelovanja z lokalno skupnostjo preko partnerstva z županom mladih, svetom mladih, mladinskim svetom, odborom za mladino in drugimi ter izbrali optimalno obliko za vsako okolje in jo skušali udejanjiti v praksi. Tesno povezane s podajanjem informacij odločevalcem so bile tudi simulacije sej občinskega sveta. Izvedli smo nekaj simulacij sej občinskega sveta, v okviru katerih so udeleženci v projektu in drugi 7

Brez odstotka ni argumenta O analizi stanja mladih v občini Ajdovščina Analiza stanja mladih v občini Ajdovščina se je izvajala večplastno. Rezultati so sestavljeni iz raziskav metode anketiranja, mladinskih tribun in raziskave izza mize. Anketiranje se je izvajalo v mladinskih organizacijah, na večjih prireditvah po občini ter na srednji šoli Vena Pilona Ajdovščina. Skupaj je Mladinski svet Ajdovščina zbral 315 pravilno izpolnjenih anket. Anketa je bila sestavljena iz več vsebinskih sklopov: − mladost, − mladinske organizacije v občini Ajdovščina, − Hiša mladih, − druge organizacije za mlade, − prosti čas mladih, − obveščenost o mladinskih dogodkih, − turizem za mlade v Ajdovščini, − želje mladih, − prostovoljno delo mladih, − motivacija mladih, − politična participacija mladih in − zaposlovanje. Anketa je bila namenjena mladim med 15-im in 30-im letom. To starostno skupino nam je z nekaj izjemami tudi uspelo doseči. Med anketiranci prevladujejo dijaki, do katerih mnenj smo prišli preko anketiranja v srednji šoli, sledijo študenti preko anketiranja v študentskem klubu in ostali, do katerih mnenj smo prišli na raznih prireditvah ter preko članov projektne skupine Povej naglás.

Iz analize ankete po tematskih sklopih

Z vprašanjem smo želeli preveriti sociološko definicijo mladih, ki mladost opredeljuje kot obdobje med puberteto in različnimi točkami odraščanja (zaposliti se, odseliti se od staršev, ustvariti družino, imeti otroke ipd.). Le 18 % mladih se ozira na starostno pogojeno obdobje mladosti, vsem ostalim so bližje točke odraščanja.

Na vprašanje so odgovorili redki anketiranci. Med relevantnimi odgovori na vprašanje najdemo le pomanjkanje organizacij, ki bi mlade povezovale z glasbo in organizacije za mlade med 25-im in 30-im letom.

Potencial odgovorov na to vprašanje kaže na nujnost, da se mladinske organizacije približajo tudi mladim, ki ne prebivajo v Ajdovščini, in na potencialno možnost za ustanavljanje novih tipov mladinskih organizacij v občini.

Prosti čas Prostočasne dejavnosti mladih vedno vzbujajo veliko zanimanja med raziskovalci mladine. Tudi z našo anketo smo želeli preveriti mite, ki umeščajo mlade pred računalnike in televizijo. Pa je temu res tako? Ogovore najdete na spletni strani www.say-out-loud.eu, v publikaciji pa objavljamo le nekaj uvodnih ugotovitev.

Obveščenost o mladinskih dogodkih

Želje mladih

Politična udeležba mladih

Spoštovani gospod župan! Danes sem svojo triletno hčerko Laro vprašala: »V kakšnem mestu si želiš živeti, ko boš zrasla in boš tako velika kot sem zdaj jaz?« »V Ajdovščini,« je odgovorila. Nasmehnila sem se. Ajdovščina danes, Ajdovščina nekoč in Ajdovščina jutri. Razmišljam. Mladi potrebujemo spodbude, izzive in nove izkušnje. Potrebujemo dobro motivacijo, da bomo v procesu življenja uživali in pozitivno ustvarjali. Seveda pa mora biti najprej poskrbljeno za kakovost našega bivanja in za varno prihodnost. Na tem mestu se bom dotaknila tistega najosnovnejšega, kar deluje tako rekoč že samoumevno, pa to vendar ni. Naš zrak, voda in naša pokrajina. Zagotovimo prihodnjim generacijam mladih osnovno kakovost bivanja s čistim zrakom, vodo in hrano. Posadimo drevesa zanje in istočasno še za nas. Gospod župan, podarite vsakemu prvošolčku drevo. Naj ga s starši posadi v slogu »Naj to drevo raste, kot naj raste moje znanje v šoli«. Določite prostor javne površine, kamor lahko drevo posadi vsak, ki nima lastne zemlje. Naj bo ta prostor ob parkirišču, pločniku, cesti ali avtocesti. Naj bo ta prostor ob strugi potoka, učni poti k izviru Hublja, planinski poti na Goro, v parku, v gozdu, ob njivah in poljskih poteh, ob deponiji, plinskem terminalu, čistilni napravi, ob morebitni sežigalnici. Naj bo to dejanje protiutež globalni ekonomiji, v kateri ni nič brezplačno, kot svetel zgled mladim, da narava vendarle daje tudi zastonj in da se vsega, kar potrebujemo za naš obstoj, ne dobi samo v trgovinah. Posadimo okrasna in sadna drevesa. Posadimo odporne sorte dreves, ki ne zahtevajo škropljenja, saj v mestu ne potrebujemo dodatnega onesnaževanja. Z njimi bomo ohranili redke sorte za prihajajoče generacije in ne bomo povečevali občinskih stroškov za njihovo vzdrževanje. Drevesa bodo rasla in nas v ritmu letnih časov navdihovala s svojo pestrostjo in popolnostjo. V poletni vročini nas bodo zvabila v hlad svoje sence in nam vse leto ponujala svoje vonjave, lepoto in sadeže. Njihove korenine bodo učvrstile tla in z odpadlim listjem bogatile in ščitile prst. Ob nalivih bodo zadrževale prehiter odtok vode, v času suše pa zaradi globokih korenin povečevale vlago v okolici. V krošnjah bodo našle zavetje mnoge ptice in druga drobcena bitja, tudi čebele. Po mestu se bo tako ob jutrih in večerih razlegalo čudovito žvrgolenje ptic. Deležni bomo mirnega nočnega spanca brez hrupa z avtoceste, na kateri bodo tudi vozniki varneje vozili v zavetju pred sunki burje. Drevesa bodo tudi razlog več, da se bomo zjutraj

namesto odpeljali raje sprehodili do delovnega mesta ali šole, se obenem naužili nekaj čistega zraka, sveže hrane in lepote narave ter se tako napojili z energijo za prihajajoč ustvarjalen dan. Gospod župan, naj skrb za osnovno kakovost bivanja postane tradicija in naj občina Ajdovščina to dejavnost ponese v svet prihodnosti. S spoštovanjem in lepimi pozdravi,

Veronika Kete Paunovski

Spoštovani župan občine Ajdovščina! Spregovoriti želim o situaciji, ki je trenutno prisotna in se tiče mladostnikov iz Ajdovščine in njene okolice. Mladi v današnjem času želijo svojo energijo največkrat porabiti za divje zabave, ki lahko trajajo dolgo v noč. Vse več mladim se zdi pomembno, da prosti čas porabijo za zabave. Zavedam se, da je v Ajdovščini veliko mladinskih organizacij, ki so usmerjene v različna področja, na primer društvo tabornikov, Klub ajdovskih študentov in dijakov, mladinski odsek Planinskega društva Ajdovščina in tako naprej. Problem pa nastane, ker imajo mladinske organizacije premalo denarne podpore od države. Navkljub vloženemu trudu, ki ga mladinske organizacije vlagajo v svoje delovanje, v različne projekte in dogodke, se le-teh veliko mladih ne udeležuje, saj so še vedno premalo informirani ali pa nimajo volje za kakršno koli obliko sodelovanja. Menim, da ima Ajdovščina dovolj različnih organizacij, ki so združene v Mladinski svet Ajdovščina. Problem, ki sem ga že prej omenil, je pomanjkanje denarnih sredstev, ki bi lahko organizacijam dala večji zagon in s tem omogočila učinkovitejše delovanje. Sam trenutno vidim prihodnost v medsebojnem ozaveščanju o možnostih v okviru občine Ajdovščina in upanju, da bi tudi država opazila in razumela situacijo mladih in jim omogočila lepše življenje s finančno podporo mladinskim organizacijam po vsej Sloveniji. Verjamem, da lahko z izraženimi željami in predlogi skupaj pripomoremo k veliko boljšemu okolju za naše mladostnike. Tadej Lozar

Spoštovani gospod župan! Mladih je vse manj, starejših pa vse več. Takšna situacija za nas mlade ni nič kaj preveč rožnata, zato vas, spoštovani župan, pozivam h korenitim spremembam, ki bi olajšale položaj mladih v občini Ajdovščina. Stanje je precej zaskrbljujoče, saj se večina mladih srečuje z velikimi problemi, ki posredno vplivajo na njihovo nadaljnje življenje. V Ajdovščini je veliko organizacij, osredotočenih predvsem na mladino. Imamo mladinski center, Hišo mladih, veliko mladinskih organizacij in dejavnosti, ampak zelo malo mladih, ki se vsega tega udeležujejo. Vzroki za to so preprosti in takšne narave, da jih je mogoče popraviti. Mnogo mladih je prelenih za kakršne koli aktivnosti, zato bi jih bilo treba čim bolj spodbujati, najverjetneje že kot zelo majhne, saj so najmlajši najbolj dovzetni za nove stvari. Začeti je potrebno pri najmlajših! Drugi vzrok je nevednost. Poznam veliko Ajdovcev, ki za tovrstne aktivnosti in možnosti preživljanja prostega časa sploh ne vedo. Mlade je potrebno pritegniti na zanimiv in zabaven način, saj jih to veliko bolj pritegne kot pa majhen oglas v krajevnem časopisu. Kot tretji problem vidim Hišo mladih po izgledu samem. Ko sem jo sama prvič zagledala, sem se je kar malo ustrašila, saj je kot zelo stara stavba za mlade neprivlačna. Po mojem mnenju je nujno potrebna prenove, da bo mlade pritegnila že z izgledom. Ajdovščina je zelo privlačna že zaradi svoje izredne zgodovinske in kulturne vrednosti, ampak samo to mladih ne pritegne. Starejših ljudi je v Ajdovščini več kot mlajših, predvsem zato, ker imajo tu mladi omejene možnosti za študij in delo. Danes imajo višje izobraženi ljudje boljše možnosti zaposlitve od tistih z nižjo izobrazbo, zato ima mesto z univerzo veliko prednost. Mislim, da je potrebno mladim zagotoviti

čim več možnosti za nadaljnji študij. Vsako mesto mora ustrezati tako mladim kot tudi starejšim in najstarejšim. Prav je, da se mesto širi, da zagotavlja vse več delovnih mest, ob tem pa je potrebnih tudi več športno-rekreacijskih objektov, kajti drugače bomo tudi mi mladi prehitro postali stari. V Ajdovščini imamo nekaj športnih igrišč, ki pa so za nečlane klubov ali udeležence šol na žalost nedostopni. Veliko mladih kolesari po mestu, pri čemer so prisiljeni uporabljati cesto in tako ovirajo cestni promet in ogrožajo sebe. Želim si več kolesarskih in tekaških stez, stez za rolerje, več pločnikov za invalide, sprehajalce in mlade družine z vozički. Mladim so zelo všeč adrenalinski športi. Mislim, da bi gokart steza, plesišča, igrišča za najmlajše, centri za zabavo (bowling, biljard, namizne igre ...), dvorane za najeme (rojstnodnevne zabave, obletnice, prireditve, sestanki, konference ...) pritegnili mlade v naše mesto. Zavedam se, da to zahteva ogromno investicij, ampak v naše mesto bi s tem privabili veliko mladih, kar bi sprožilo gradnjo novih cenovno ugodnih stanovanj, dobili bi nova delovna mesta in nove zaposlitvene kadre. Tovrstne investicije bi bile vsekakor dolgoročno koristne. Občani Ajdovščine moramo poskrbeti za naše mesto in dati mladini zabavo, študij in dom, saj bo le tako naša Ajdovščina ostala polna življenja. Tjaša Prelaz

Spoštovani gospod župan! (pisma županu Občine Ajdovščina) 13

Iskanje prve zaposlitve je osemurni delovnik (zaposlovanje mladih) Ugotovitve: Analiza »Mladi v občini Ajdovščina 2009« ugotavlja, da bi se večina mladih rada zaposlila v občini, vendar pa jih četrtina meni, da zaposlitev v občini ne bo možna. Med najpogostejšimi vzroki navajajo splošno pomanjkanje delovnih mest in odsotnost delovnih mest za njihov profil. Splošne ugotovitve iz analize je potrdila tudi razprava na javni mladinski tribuni na temo zaposlovanja mladih, ki pa se je področja dotaknila bolj celovito. Mladi in predstavniki Zavoda za zaposlovanje so skupaj izpostavili naslednje težave: − Število registriranih brezposelnih oseb v zadnjih dveh letih narašča. − Povpraševanje po kadrih, ki jih primanjkuje, je vedno večje, povpraševanja po kadrih, ki so na voljo, pa ni. − Mladi izobraženi kadri se zaradi boljših zaposlitvenih možnosti izseljujejo v večja in bolj razvita mesta. − Mladi zaposleni so deležni vse večjega izkoriščanja s strani delodajalcev, ker kot iskalci prve zaposlitve niso dobro seznanjeni s svojimi pravicami in z dolžnostmi delodajalca. − Starostna meja upokojitve se zvišuje, kar povzroča še večje pomanjkanje delovnih mest za mlade.

Delodajalci naj zagotovijo primerna delovna mesta tudi za starejše ljudi. Mladim Z namenom preprečevanja izkoriščanja naj mladi natančno preberejo pogodbo o zaposlitvi, ki mora biti jasno napisana in vključevati obveznosti tako delojemalca kot delodajalca.

Nekaj predlaganih ukrepov: Občini Ajdovščina Občina se mora v vseh pogledih truditi, da bo mladim izobraženim kadrom zagotovila konkurenčna delovna mesta glede na njihovo izobrazbo. Občina naj spodbuja odpiranje novih delovnih mest za absolvente različnih tehničnih, naravoslovnih in tudi družboslovnih smeri, ko ti končajo izobraževanje (prve zaposlitve). Občina naj odpre razpis za sofinanciranje odpiranja novih zaposlitev (novozaposleni ali samozaposleni). Občina naj spodbuja štipendiranje, določene štipendije naj razpiše tudi sama. Občina naj pospeši razvoj podjetniških in razvojnih inkubatorjev. Delodajalcem Delodajalci naj upoštevajo tudi delovne izkušnje mladih, ki niso pridobljene zgolj v rednem delovnem razmerju. Delodajalci naj izkoristijo potencial, ki ga imajo mladi izobraženi kadri. Delodajalci naj pri zaposlovanju upoštevajo tudi neformalno pridobljeno znanje.

CIPS – Center za informiranje in poklicno svetovanje ponuja odgovore na vprašanja, ki zanimajo obiskovalce, ter nudi vpogled v evidenco iskanih poklicev in prostih delovnih mest. Na centru CIPS uporabnike seznanijo z navodili in omogočajo učenje veščin za iskanje zaposlitve. E-svetovanje Zavoda za zaposlovanje nudi širok spekter informacij o zaposlovanju, prostih delovnih mestih doma in v tujini, načinu zaposlitve, kandidiranju na delovno mesto, izpolnjevanju prošenj, pristopu do delodajalca ipd.

Formalno:neformalno 3:1 (izobraževanje mladih)

Ugotovitve: Javna mladinska tribuna na temo izobraževanja mladih se je celovito dotaknila področja izobraževanja. Mladi in direktorica Ljudske univerze Ajdovščina so ugotovili naslednje: − Neformalno izobraževanje je še vedno zapostavljeno zaradi nizke stopnje dokazljivosti njegovih učinkov. − Neformalno izobraževanje pridobiva na pomenu, predvsem z beleženjem pridobljenega neformalnega znanja na primer v Nefiksu – Neformalnem indeksu. Tako pridobljeno znanje in kompetence, ki jih z udeležbo v različnih dogodkih pridobijo mladi, je vedno bolj priznano tudi s strani delodajalcev. − Velik problem predstavlja nepriznavanje neformalnega izobraževanja v šolah in drugih vzgojno izobraževalnih ustanovah, kar je odvisno od posameznega profesorja oziroma učitelja. − Formalno in neformalno izobraževanje se v življenju mladih prepletata in sta v kombinaciji enako pomembna. − Mladi radi študirajo izven kraja svojega stalnega prebivališča in se po končanem šolanju vrnejo. − Univerza v Ajdovščini prinaša možnost študija tudi mladim z manj možnostmi, saj bivanje doma bistveno zniža stroške študija. Nekaj predlaganih ukrepov:

Občini Ajdovščina Občina naj zaradi vzpostavitve univerze v Ajdovščino spodbuja tudi ostalo, kar odpiranje novih programov prinese s seboj, kot je odpiranje študentskih delovnih mest v občini, družabni del življenja študentov ter zagotavlja ležišča za študente iz drugih krajev. Občina naj finančno spodbuja organizacije, ki ponujajo neformalno izobraževanje, v prvi vrsti mladinske organizacije, tečaje, delavnice, program PUM, tabore in druge interesne dejavnosti. Šolam in fakultetam Formalni izobraževalni programi naj se nujno povežejo z neformalnimi, kar v prvi vrsti pomeni sodelovanje šol in fakultet z mladinskimi organizacijami. V svoje programe naj fakultete vključijo več prakse, ki naj jo zagotovijo v sodelovanju z lokalnim gospodarstvom. Univerzitetne programe naj univerza razpisuje na podlagi študij, ki identificirajo poklice, ki so na našem področju najbolj iskani. Mladim Mladi naj beležijo svoje neformalno pridobljeno znanje npr. z orodjem Nefiks. Mladi naj se aktivno vključujejo v šolske organizacije, kjer naj si prizadevajo za sodelovanje pri sprejemanju odločitev, ki se nanašajo na upravljanje šole. 15

Prosti čas je lep. Poskrbimo, da takšen tudi ostane. (prosti čas mladih) Ugotovitve: Analiza »Mladi v občini Ajdovščina 2009« se je celovito dotaknila področja prostega časa mladih. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da ima 66 % mladih dovolj prostega časa, vendar pa kar štirim petinam mladih denar predstavlja omejitev za preživljanje prostega časa. Takšni rezultati nalagajo organizacijam za izvajanje prostočasnih dejavnosti posebno odgovornost za brezplačne aktivnosti, občini pa odgovornost za finančno podporo teh organizacij. Mladi so se s strokovnjakinjo za področje dela z mladimi dotaknili prostočasnih aktivnosti tudi na mladinski tribuni, ki je podkrepila rezultate anket: - Organizirano in kvalitetno preživljanje prostega časa mladostnikov je velikega pomena za mlade. - Prosti čas zajema več funkcij: (1) neformalno izobraževanje, (2) vrstniška socializacija, (3) preizkušanje svoje vloge in vedenja v družbi ter (4) krepitev socialnih kompetenc. - Mladi svoj prosti čas največkrat preživljajo s prijatelji ali partnerjem, najraje pa ob poslušanju glasbe. Mladi so med razlogi za vključenost v mladinske organizacije navedli kvalitetno preživljanje prostega časa, povezovanje z mladimi, medčloveške odnose v organizacijah, dobro družbo, možnost udeležbe v različnih programih in aktivnostih, zabavo, zanimivost programov, možnost izražanja svojih potencialov, izobraževanje, gibanje v naravi, pridobivanje

izkušenj, uveljavljanje skupnih interesov ipd. Največkrat so se pojavili odgovori, ki nakazujejo na bližino mladinskih organizacij mladim (zabava, uresničevanje potencialov, ugodnosti članstva ter največkrat druženje z vrstniki). Nekaj predlaganih ukrepov: Občini Ajdovščina Občina naj finančno spodbuja izvajanje rednih in stalnih prostočasnih dejavnosti tudi s sofinanciranjem zaposlovanja v društvih. Občina naj spodbuja redno izvajanje večjih družbeno-kulturnih dejavnosti in prireditev v občini. Mladinskim organizacijam Mladinske organizacije naj neprestano izvajajo svoje programe, da se lahko mladi nanje navadijo. O mladinskih programih naj aktivno obveščajo mlade, pri tem naj sodelujejo s šolami. Šolam in fakultetam Šole naj povečajo nabor obšolskih dejavnosti, ki naj jih izvajajo tudi v sodelovanju z mladinskimi organizacijami.

Zdrav duh v zdravem telesu (zdravje mladih)

Ugotovitve: Javne mladinske tribune na temo duševnega zdravja mladih se je udeležilo 16 mladih ter psihiatrinja iz Psihiatrične bolnišnice Idrija. Glavna ugotovitev tribune je, da je telesno zdravje mladih relativno dobro, vedno več pa je duševnih stisk. Takšni mladi se zdravijo zaradi odvisnosti od alkohola, različnih depresij in fobij, ki izvirajo iz današnjega načina življenja, ki otrokom in mladostnikom omogoča presežek materialnih dobrin, prikrajšani pa so za čustveno bližino. Okolje, v katerem mladi živimo, ponuja veliko več nevarnosti, saj se na zelo lahek način pride do droge ali alkohola, pojavlja se zasvojenost z internetom, raznimi računalniškimi igrami in igrami na srečo, med mladimi je tudi veliko rednih kadilcev. Pogosti so različni strahovi pred debelostjo, ki imajo za posledico motnje hranjenja, kar vodi v anoreksijo ali bulimijo, strah pred drugačnostjo in s tem izpostavljenostjo ali izločitvijo iz družbe.

Mladinskim organizacijam Mladinske organizacije naj v svoje programe vključujejo tudi preventivne akcije in pobude za zdravo življenje. Šolam in fakultetam Šole naj storijo več za dobro počutje svojih učencev tudi za ceno nižje storilnosti. Družbi Družba (družina, prijatelji, učitelji, psihologi, socialni pedagogi, nevladne organizacije za pomoč odvisnikom od drog in alkohola …) naj nudi takojšnjo pomoč mladim, ko se znajdejo v stiski. Mladim Mladi naj bodo pogumni in vztrajni pri reševanju težav. S problemi se je potrebno soočiti, ne pa se jim izmikati.

Nekaj predlaganih ukrepov: Zdravstvu Zdravstvene inštitucije naj okrepijo osveščanje o duševnih boleznih, fobijah, depresijah in stiskah. Zdravstvo naj vlaga več sredstev v promocijo zdravega načina življenja in preventivo med mladimi.

Več ukrepov na lokalnih ravneh lahko bralci poiščete v Revidirani evropski listini o vključevanju mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje, ki jo najdete na koncu slovenskega in angleškega dela publikacije.

Delovanje občinske uprave in občinskega sveta Občina je osnovna lokalna skupnost, ki v okviru zakonodaje samostojno ureja svoje zadeve in izvaja določene zakonske predpise na svojem področju. Občino sestavlja območje enega ali več naselij, povezanih s skupnimi interesi prebivalcev. Občina samostojno opravlja lokalne zadeve javnega pomena (t.i. izvirne naloge), ki so določene z zakonom ali statutom občine. Organi občine OBČINSKI SVET Občinski svet sprejema statut občine, odloke in druge splošne akte ter poslovnik občinskega sveta. V okviru svojih pristojnosti občinski svet sprejema prostorske plane in druge plane občine, sprejema občinski proračun, ustanavlja organe občinske uprave, nadzoruje delo župana, podžupanov in občinske uprave glede izvajanja odločitev občinskega sveta, razpisuje referendum, ustanavlja javne zavode in javna podjetja ter druge osebe javnega prava v skladu z zakonom ter odloča o drugih zadevah, ki jih določa zakon. ŽUPAN Župan predstavlja in zastopa občino. Poleg tega pa predlaga občinskemu svetu v sprejem proračune občine, izvršuje občinski proračun, skrbi za izvajanje splošnih aktov občine in drugih odločitev občinskega sveta, skrbi za objavo statuta, odlokov in drugih splošnih aktov občine, usmerja in nadzoruje delo občinske uprave in organov skupne občinske uprave ter opravlja druge zadeve, ki jih določa zakon. PODŽUPANI Za pomoč pri opravljanju nalog župana ima občina lahko podžupane. Podžupana izmed članov občinskega sveta imenuje in razrešuje župan. Podžupani pomagajo županu pri njegovem delu ter opravljata posamezne naloge iz pristojnosti župana, za katere jih župan pooblasti. Podžupan nadomešča župana v primeru njegove odsotnosti ali zadržanosti. V času nadomeščanja opravlja podžupan tekoče naloge iz pristojnosti župana in tiste naloge, za katere ga župan pooblasti. Kako deluje občinski svet? Vsak občinski svet ima poslovnik delovanja, ki natančno določa njegovo delovanje, vendar se delovanje občinskega sveta posameznih občin razlikuje med seboj. Število članov občinskega sveta je odvisno od velikosti občine. Občinski svet se sestaja na

rednih sejah, ki praviloma potekajo enkrat mesečno. Na sejah se večinoma obravnava redna problematika občine. Seje občinskega sveta sklicuje in vodi župan, vendar nima pravice glasovanja. V večini primerov tudi določa dnevni red seje, seveda pa imajo svetniki možnost, da se tudi njihovi predlogi uvrstijo na dnevni red. Občinski svet razpravlja in kasneje glasuje o točkah dnevnega reda. Za sprejeto odločitev je potrebna večina vseh prisotnih, pri pomembnejših odločitvah pa večina vseh svetnikov ali celo dvotretjinska večina, kot npr. pri proračunu, spremembah statuta občine, pomembnih imenovanjih ipd. Ravno pri sklepih, ki potekajo v več obravnavah, pride do izraza svetnikova sposobnost usklajevanja stališč s svojo svetniško skupino, ostalimi poslanskimi kolegi, županom, strokovnimi službami in zainteresirano javnostjo. Tu se veliko dela opravi izven dvorane občinskega sveta z usklajevanjem, iskanjem podpore in preverjanjem mogočih rešitev. Občinski svet ima organizirane tudi odbore. To so manjše skupine svetnikov, ki obravnavajo posamezna področja, kot so šport, kmetijstvo, kultura, sociala, promet ipd. Odbori občinskega sveta v večini občin poleg občinskih svetnikov vključujejo tudi predstavnike javnosti, društev, zunanje strokovnjake in predstavnike občinskih strokovnih služb. Vsi našteti imajo običajno enako pravico do glasovanja, zato pride v odborih do izraza tudi glas javnosti. V odborih občinskega sveta se razpravlja o možnih rešitvah, pripravlja predloge za odločanje na občinskem svetu ter usklajuje stališča. Odbori omogočajo tudi nekoliko lahkotnejšo razpravo in možnost, da pride do bolj kakovostnih rešitev.

Kako do političnih odločevalcev? Cilj idej s pripravljeno strategijo bo zagotovo dosežen. V slovenskih občinah poznamo več nosilnih struktur za dialog med mladimi in lokalnimi skupnostmi, katere lahko predlagatelji vključijo v svojo strategijo. Te morajo vključevati tudi mlade ter biti predstavniške in stalne. Ukvarjati se morajo z vsemi zadevami, za katere mladi izrazijo zanimanje. Primeri takšnih struktur so: − mladinski sveti lokalnih skupnosti, − komisije za mladinska vprašanja, − odbori za mladino in − odbori za družbene dejavnosti.

Mladi lahko na različne načine vplivajo na odločitve političnih odločevalcev, podajajo svoje mnenje, dajejo svoje pobude, dosežejo svoja pričakovanja ter tako uresničijo svoje želje. Bližnjice do najlažjega in najučinkovitejšega načina za uspešno sodelovanje med mladimi in odločevalci ni, saj je sodelovanje odvisno od situacije v posameznem lokalnem okolju. Dejstvo pa je, da je za dosego cilja potrebna dolga pot, trdo delo in vztrajno prizadevanje mladih, kar pripelje do končnih rezultatov, kot so učinkovit in odkrit dialog med mladimi in odločevalci, politični vpliv, upoštevana mnenja in realizirane želje. Mladi morajo za dosego svojih ciljev v lokalnih skupnostih dobro poznati situacijo v posameznem lokalnem okolju, poznati mnenjske vodje in druge odločevalce, preko katerih lahko vplivajo na odločitve. Pristop k političnim odločevalcem zahteva pripravljeno strategijo in sodelovanje čim večjega števila mladih, kar bo usklajeno pripeljalo do ciljev – upoštevanih predlogov. K odločevalcem je potrebno pristopiti s konkretnimi predlogi in rešitvami, v katerih bodo prepoznali dodano vrednost predlogov ter njihovo korist za širšo skupnost ljudi in ne samo tistih mladih, ki si prizadevajo za dosego cilja. Oblikovalci predlogov morajo upoštevati interes čim večje množice ljudi, oblikovati dolgoročne in ekonomične rešitve ter predlagati ukrepe, ki bodo služili več generacijam.

Mladinski svet lokalne skupnosti se po zakonu ustanovi z združevanjem aktivnih oblik mladinskega organiziranja v občini. Njegova naloga je zastopanje interesov mladih v občini. Mladinski sveti lokalnih skupnosti so nosilci mladinskega dela in mladinske politike na lokalni ravni ter predstavljajo osnovo za sodelovanje mladih v lokalnih skupnostih. Mladinski sveti lokalnih skupnosti zastopajo interese mladih pri lokalnih (občinskih) oblasteh in se z njimi večinoma dogovarjajo o aktivnostih, sredstvih ter infrastrukturi, namenjeni mladim. Prav tako imajo v skladu z zakonom pravico in moralno obvezo do dajanja mnenj v vseh zadevah, obravnavanih na občinskih organih, ki zadevajo mlade. S svojim delovanjem spodbujajo dejavnosti mladinskih organizacij ter skrbijo za informiranje njihovega članstva in širše javnosti o politiki lokalne skupnosti predvsem na področjih, ki zadevajo mlade. Komisijo za mladinska vprašanja imenuje župan s sklepom kot svoje posvetovalno telo za proučevanje posameznih zadev iz svoje pristojnosti. Komisija sprejema sklepe ter daje predloge in pobude županu. Odbor za mladino občinskega sveta v okviru svojega delovnega področja obravnava tematiko iz pristojnosti občinskega sveta in daje občinskemu svetu mnenja in predloge. Odbor lahko predlaga občinskemu svetu v sprejem odloke in druge akte iz njegove pristojnosti. V Sloveniji odborov za mladino praviloma nimamo, njihove naloge opravlja odbor za družbene dejavnosti. Naštete strukture niso edine možnosti, preko katerih lahko mladi izrazijo svoje želje. Obrnejo se lahko tudi direktno na župane, občinske svetnike ali občinske uprave. Vsi bodo zagotovo našli čas in z veseljem prisluhnili kvalitetnim idejam. 19

Utrinki s srečanj udeležencev projekta Povej naglás! 1. srečanje udeležencev projekta Povej naglás!

2. srečanje udeležencev projekta Povej naglás!

Kovk, 22. – 27. april 2009

Latvija, 15. – 20. avgust 2009 Drugo srečanje udeležencev projekta Povej naglás je potekalo konec avgusta v Jelgavi (Latvija). Udeležilo se ga je 5 udeležencev iz Slovenije, 5 udeležencev iz Španije in 10 udeležencev iz Latvije. Namen srečanja v Latviji je bil postavitev spletne strani projekta in zbiranje predlogov za oblikovanje in vsebino publikacije. Na srečanju smo debatirali tudi o organiziranju mladih v posameznih državah ter ugotavljali podobnosti in razlike med njimi. Najprej smo z udeleženci srečanja definirali in pripravili nekaj vsebin za spletno stran in publikacijo. Zbrali smo besedila in slike z aktivnosti, ki so se znotraj projekta že odvile, in jih kasneje objavili tudi na spletni strani projekta. Debata na srečanju se je kasneje razvila v smer mladinskega dela in mladinskega organiziranja v posameznih lokalnih skupnostih, v katerih delujejo organizacije partneric v projektu. Ugotovljenih je bilo več podobnosti v načinu delovanja in ciljih posameznih mladinskih organizacij ter tudi nekaj razlik, predvsem v načinu sodelovanja z občinskimi oblastmi, povezanih z velikostjo posameznih lokalnih skupnosti in posluhom, ki ga imajo posamezne lokalne skupnosti za mlade.

Prvo srečanje udeležencev projekta Povej naglás se je odvilo v Sloveniji na Kovku nad Ajdovščino konec aprila 2009. Srečanja se je udeležilo 5 udeležencev iz Madrida (Španija), 5 udeležencev iz Jelgave (Latvija) in 10 udeležencev iz Ajdovščine (Slovenija). Prvo srečanje je bilo namenjeno predvsem izmenjavi informacij o načinu življenja mladih, njihovih potrebah in željah ter primerjavi stanja mladih v treh različnih okoljih. Na prvem srečanju mladih smo najprej analizirali in primerjali rezultate anket, ki so jih reševali mladi iz treh različnih lokalnih okolij, stari od 15 do 30 let. V anketi smo mlade spraševali o načinu planiranja in preživljanja njihovega prostega časa, o poznavanju mladinskih organizacij, ki delujejo v njihovem lokalnem okolju, o udejstvovanju v lokalni skupnosti ter o njihovih potrebah in željah. Z analizo odgovorov smo prišli do več podobnosti med mladimi iz različnih lokalnih okolij, povezanimi z njihovim udejstvovanjem v lokalni skupnosti, v zvezi z njihovimi željami in potrebami. Ugotovili smo tudi nekaj razlik, povezanih predvsem z velikostjo urbanega okolja, v katerem mladi živijo, in ponudbo aktivnosti, ki jim jih tamkajšnje mladinske organizacije nudijo. Na podlagi ugotovljenih podobnosti in razlik ter po primerjavi izraženih mnenj mladih na različni mladinskih tribunah, ki so bile ravno tako izvedene v vseh treh državah, smo predlagali nekatere rešitve za mlade ter se pogovarjali o ukrepih za večanje udeležbe mladih v lokalnem okolju. Na tem srečanju smo si z udeleženci ogledali primere obstoječih dobrih praks, ki so služili tudi za primerjavo s primeri dobrih praks na naslednjih srečanjih v Španiji in Latviji. Obiskali smo Mladinski center Hiša mladih v Ajdovščini ter Mladinski center Podlaga v Sežani. Pogovarjali smo se o delovanju različnih oblik mladinskih struktur, ki delujejo v posameznih okoljih in nudijo mladim vrsto aktivnosti za preživljanje prostega časa, ter jih medsebojno primerjali.

Na srečanju v Latviji smo si ogledali primer dobre prakse, mladinski center Junda, ki že več let uspešno deluje in mladim Jelgavcem, predvsem osnovnošolcem in dijakom, ponuja prostor za druženje in aktivno preživljanje prostega časa. Obiskali smo tudi prostore Občine Jelgava, v katerih nas je prijazno sprejel njihov podžupan in nam predstavil svoja stališča do nujnosti obstoja in delovanja mladinskih organizacij v občini ter svoj pogled na sodelovanje in dialog med občino in mladimi. Obiskali so nas tudi mladi zmagovalci literarnega natečaja Moje pismo županu, s katerimi smo se pogovarjali o njihovih potrebah in željah, izraženih skozi pisma županu.

3. srečanje udeležencev projekta Povej naglás! Madrid, 15. – 20. oktober 2009 Tretje srečanje udeležencev projekta Povej naglás je potekalo v Madridu v Španiji konec oktobra 2009. Udeležilo se ga je 5 udeležencev iz Slovenije, 5 udeležencev iz Latvije in 10 udeležencev iz Španije. Namen srečanja je bil ogled in predstavitev mladinskega dela v Španiji, delovanja mladinskih organizacij ter zaključek vsebin spletne strani in publikacije. Na zadnjem srečanju udeležencev projekta Povej naglás smo si ogledali španski primer dobre prakse Madrida, regijski center za mlade »Europa Joven San Blas« okrožja Madrida San Blas, kjer nas je obiskala vodilna politična predstavnica tega okrožja. Udeležili smo se tudi dneva enakih možnosti in enakopravnosti ter sklopa različnih delavnic in drugih aktivnosti, ki so jih mladi pripravili zase in za druge prebivalce okrožja San Blas, in so se zaključile s popoldanskim koncertom lokalnih glasbenih skupin. Na tretjem srečanju smo proučevali oblike mladinskega organiziranja in mladinskega dela v Španiji, ki smo jih primerjali s slovenskimi ter latvijskimi. Ugotovili smo precej podobnosti med oblikami organizacij, ki obstajajo tako v Španiji kot tudi v Latviji in Sloveniji z istimi cilji in željami – ponuditi mladim prostor in možnost izražanja svojega mnenja ter oblikovanja samega sebe. Pokazale so se nekatere manjše razlike v načinu delovanja posameznih organizacij in v nekaterih posebnostih v posameznih državah. Razlike so bile vidne tudi v načinu in možnostih sodelovanja s predstavniki lokalnih oblasti glede na interes posameznih lokalnih skupnosti in možnostih vplivanja na lokalne odločevalce ter tudi glede na velikost in organiziranost skupnosti, v katerih mladi živijo in delujejo. Večino srečanja smo posvetili oblikovanju vsebin in izboru slik za publikacijo ter dokončni vzpostavitvi in dopolnitvi spletne strani z vsebinami projekta.

Primer dobre prakse – Hiša mladih Ajdovščina Hiša mladih niso samo štiri stene, med katerimi imajo mladinske organizacije in društva svoje prostore, temveč je veliko več. V objektu delujoče organizacije tvorijo simbiotično skupnost, ki je močno prerasla interese posameznikov oziroma skupin in se razvila v eno najpestrejših tovrstnih okolij v Sloveniji. Navaja se kot primer dobre prakse in kot usmeritev ostalim sorodnim oblikam v Sloveniji.

vplivalo na različne organizacije in mlade ter pripomoglo k njihovemu medsebojnemu povezovanju. Ponuja tudi priložnost mladim z manj možnostmi, da se vključujejo v programe, ki jih pripravljajo Škofijska Karitas, Ljudska univerza Ajdovščina s programom Projektno učenje za mlajše odrasle ter Mladinski center. Za uporabnike programov Mladinskega centra je Hiša mladih odprta vsak dan.

V objektu danes delujejo naslednje mladinske organizacije in organizacije za mlade: − Klub ajdovskih študentov in dijakov, − Mladinski center Hiša mladih Ajdovščina, − Mladinski svet Ajdovščina, − Društvo mladih Jutro, − Društvo tabornikov Rod mladi bori Ajdovščina, − program Projektno učenje za mlajše odrasle ter − nekatera manjša društva in neformalne (predvsem glasbene) skupine mladih.

Mladi se v okolici Hiše mladih zbirajo in družijo, v stavbi pa potekajo dejavnosti, ki jih obiskujejo v prostem času. Hiša mladih vedno bolj pokriva in razvija različna interesna področja mladih, poskuša reševati njihove probleme, predvsem pa jim nuditi prostor, kjer se lahko izražajo, razvijajo, uveljavljajo svoje interese in tako koristno preživljajo svoj prosti čas.

Prostorski razpršenosti ajdovskih mladinskih organizacij je leta 2004 sledil velik premik z združitvijo pod skupno streho – v Hišo mladih. Hiša mladih je najprej pod eno streho združila veliko večino mladinskih organizacij in posameznih društev v Ajdovščini, ki so si v njej uredila svoje prostore, kasneje pa je začela postajati prostor za vse mlade in otroke iz širše okolice Ajdovščine. Delovanje pod eno streho je preraslo v sodelovanje in je pozitivno

Hiša mladih je odskočna deska mladim za življenje, usmeritev za delo, osebnostni razvoj in razvoj umetniškega izražanja. Mlade usmerja v plodne aktivnosti in aktivno sodelovanje. Skozi delo v Hiši mladih in njeni okolici se veča zaposljivost uporabnikov in raste njihova osebna kvaliteta. Objekt je skozi leta delovanja postal središče dogajanja za mlade in varen prostor, v katerega se lahko mladi zatečejo in v katerem lahko ustvarjajo.

Več informacij na http://www.mva.si

V sodelovanju z drugimi oblikami združevanja izvaja Hiša mladih tudi razne akcije v lokalni skupnosti, ki se navezujejo na mladinsko področje. Program podpira aktivno udeležbo mladih predvsem na lokalnem nivoju ter vključuje mlade z manj možnostmi. V okviru delovanja Hiše mladih se izrazito kaže aktivno državljanstvo mladih, saj sodelujemo na skoraj vseh družbeno pomembnih akcijah v občini in širše. Pobude, iniciative in družbeno koristni razgovori so v Hiši mladih nekaj vsakdanjega. Hiša mladih je skozi leta s prizadevanjem posameznikov, ki delujejo v mladinskih organizacijah in društvih, postala mladinsko-kulturni prostor in tako glavna mladinska dejavnost v mestu – center zbiranja različnih generacij mladih. Ponuja pestro paleto dejavnosti, namenjenih različnim starostnim skupinam, od osnovnošolcev do tridesetletnikov. Danes Hiša mladih pomaga sooblikovati izgled in ponudbo kraja kot takega, prijaznega meščanom in ostalim. S tem ko postaja skupni prostor, s katerim se mladi v Ajdovščini poistovetijo in so nanj ponosni, vzbuja tudi občutek pripadnosti.

Združenost mladinskih organizacij pod eno streho prinaša enotnost nastopanja mladih v lokalni skupnosti ter pred političnimi odločevalci. S tem se veča moč mladih, krepi njihov vpliv in se jih postavlja v ospredje. Družba jih kot take lažje prepoznava kot pomembne, tiste, na katerih je potrebno graditi, za katere se je vredno truditi, jih poslušati in upoštevati. Mesto Ajdovščina se lahko s svojo Hišo mladih, ki so jo ustvarili in izoblikovali mladi sami, pokaže kot mesto z dušo, prijazno mladim in koristno vsem, tako mlajšim kot tudi starejšim.

Projektni partner – Mladinski svet Ajdovščina Mladinski svet Ajdovščina (MSA) je na ravni občine Ajdovščina organizirana asociacija mladinskih združenj in organizacij, ki delujejo med mladimi različnih družbenih, nazorskih ali političnih usmeritev. Povezovanje mladinskih organizacij v Mladinski svet Ajdovščina temelji na načelih svobodnega združevanja, enakopravnosti in vzajemnem spoštovanju avtonomnosti vsake organizacije – članice MSA. Mladinski svet Ajdovščina v svojih prizadevanjih in aktivnostih izhaja iz avtonomnosti mladinskega združevanja ter njegovega vključevanja v svobodno in demokratično družbo. Prizadeva si za krepitev vloge mladih v družbenem dogajanju, za spodbujanje aktivnosti mladih in krepitev svobodne in demokratične skupnosti. Namen MSA je prispevati k oblikovanju okolja, ki omogoča mladim aktivno udeležbo v družbi. Posebno želimo, da so mladi bolj: - avtonomni, sposobni odločati in upravljati svoje življenje, - solidarni, dejavni pri skrbi zase in za druge, - odgovorni, sposobni prevzemati posledice svojih odločitev in - angažirani, da živijo v skladu s svojimi načeli in vrednotami kot posamezniki in kot člani družbe. Cilji MSA so: - usklajevati in navzven predstavljati interese sodelujočih članic, - spodbujati vzajemno razumevanje, izmenjavo izkušenj in pripravljenost za medsebojno sodelovanje mladinskih organizacij, - biti posvetovalno telo za vsa vprašanja, ki zadevajo mlade in njihove organizacije, ter izvajati vpliv na mladinsko politiko v Ajdovščini in širšem okolju, - spodbujati razvoj mladinskih organizacij kot instrumenta mladih v družbi in razvijati aktivno udeležbo mladih v javnem življenju, - spodbujati in razvijati sodelovanje skupnosti in njenih članic s sorodnimi organizacijami doma in po svetu, - aktivno sodelovati pri trajnostnem družbenem razvoju, - vzpodbujati javni dialog o družbenih vprašanjih, - podpirati izvajanje dejavnosti članic MSA v mladinskih centrih, Več informacij na http://www.msa.si

- podpirati izvajanje dejavnosti s področja izobraževanja ter socialne politike otrok in mladine, prostočasnih dejavnosti, kulture, informiranja, mednarodnega sodelovanja in raziskovanja, - prizadevati si za zmanjševanje odliva intelektualnega potenciala mladih iz občine Ajdovščina in izenačiti pogoje, v katerih se razvija mladina na območju Občine Ajdovščina.

Projektni partner – Občina Ajdovščina občina … Občina Ajdovščina je gospodarsko in kulturno središče Vipavske doline, ki leži na zahodnem delu Slovenije v bližini državne meje z Italijo. Občino sestavlja 26 krajevnih skupnosti in 45 naselij. Središče občine je mesto Ajdovščina, kjer živi okoli 7000 prebivalcev. Mesto se ponaša z izredno bogato in razgibano zgodovino. Prav zaradi posrečene kombinacije prvih rimskih zgradb in kasnejših srednjeveških gradbenih posegov ponuja danes Ajdovščina obiskovalcem mnogo zanimivosti. Družabno življenje v občini Ajdovščina je bogato na vseh področjih. Zanj med drugim skrbijo ugledne kulturne institucije, kot so Pilonova galerija, Lavričeva knjižnica, Muzejska zbirka ter Zveza kulturnih društev, ki združuje vsa društva in posameznike, angažirane v kulturnem življenju mesta, tudi odlične pevske sestave. Za dobro organizirane športne dejavnosti skrbijo Športni center Police in letni bazen Police, Športni park Pale z lepo urejenimi igrišči za tenis, košarko, balinanje in otroškimi igrišči, Aeroklub Josip Križaj, ki upravlja letališče Ajdovščina, Športna zveza Ajdovščina, ki združuje domača športna društva, pa tudi Planinsko društvo, ki ureja planinske poti in organizira pohode. Mladinske organizacije, ki skrbijo za mlade, se združujejo v Mladinski svet Ajdovščina. in Občina … Občina Ajdovščina je temeljna samoupravna lokalna skupnost prebivalcev naselij, ki so povezana s skupnimi potrebami in interesi. Je pravna oseba, ki v okviru ustave in zakonov samostojno ureja in opravlja lokalne zadeve javnega pomena. Poleg lokalnih zadev iz izvirne pristojnosti lahko občina opravlja posamezne naloge, ki jih nanjo po njenem predhodnem soglasju z zakonom prenese država. Občina v okviru izvirne pristojnosti nudi pogoje za gospodarski ter prostorsko in ekološko usklajen razvoj občine, pogoje za kulturni in vsestranski razvoj njenih občanov, njihovo socialno in drugo varnost ter za pogoje uresničevanje pravic do posrednega in neposrednega odločanja o zadevah lokalne samouprave.

Več informacij na http://www.ajdovscina.si

Program Mladi v akciji Program MLADI V AKCIJI je program Evropske unije, ki sledi ciljem evropskega sodelovanja na področju mladine ter omogoča finančno podporo projektom neformalnega učenja in mobilnosti mladih. Program je namenjen predvsem mladim med 15-im in 28-im letom, da bi se povečala njihova zavzetost in vključevanje v oblikovanje ter upravljanje družb. Program omogoča mladim, da na podlagi lastnih prizadevanj pridobivajo in krepijo ključne kompetence za vseživljenjsko učenje z namenom povečevanja njihove zaposljivosti in vključevanja v družbo. Prednostna področja programa:

1. Evropsko državljanstvo Program ima namen ozavestiti mlade, da so tudi evropski državljani, ki so odgovorni za prihodnji razvoj in ureditev Evropske unije. Cilji projektov morajo biti spodbujanje mladih k razmišljanju o evropskih temah, vrednotenju evropskega povezovanja ter vključitev mladih v razprave o gradnji in prihodnosti Evropske unije. 2. Participacija mladih Program spodbuja prevzemanje aktivne vloge mladih v družbi. Cilji projektov morajo povečevati udejstvovanje mladih v lokalni skupnosti in v sistemih reprezentativne demokracije ter omogočiti različne oblike učenja o tem, kako aktivno sodelovati v družbi. 3. Kulturna raznolikost Program spodbuja odkrivanje in spoštovanje kulturne raznolikosti v Evropi in izpostavlja nujnost boja proti rasizmu in ksenofobiji. Skupne aktivnosti mladih z različnimi kulturnimi, etničnimi in verskimi izhodišči so priložnost za doseganje ciljev teh prizadevanj ob uporabi metod medkulturnega učenja. 4. Vključevanje mladih z manj priložnostmi Program MLADI V AKCIJI se dopolnjuje z drugimi programi na področju izobraževanja in učenja ter je namenjen vsem mladim, še zlasti pa tistim, ki podobnih življenjskih in učnih izkušenj ne morejo pridobiti v ostalih programih. Projekti, v katerih sodelujejo mladi z manj možnostmi, zlasti mladi, ki so odrinjeni na rob družbenega življenja, ter mladi z

manjšo možnostjo zaposlitve, imajo prednost pri sprejemu v program. Program tudi pričakuje, da bodo nosilci projektov s podporo programa MLADI V AKCIJI izvajali ukrepe za čim večje sodelovanje mladih v njihovih dejavnostih ter se trudili pritegniti k sodelovanju mlade iz različnih ekonomskih in socialnih okolij s svojega območja. Akcije programa: Akcija 1 – Mladi za Evropo Podakcija 1.3 – Projekti mladih za demokracijo Ta podakcija podpira udeležbo mladih v demokratičnem življenju. Njen namen je povečati aktivno udeležbo mladih v okolju njihove lokalne, regionalne ali nacionalne skupnosti oziroma na mednarodni ravni. Projekt mladih za demokracijo je projekt, ki ga je razvilo evropsko partnerstvo in ki na evropski ravni omogoča zbiranje idej, izkušenj in metodologij iz projektov ali aktivnosti na lokalni, regionalni, nacionalni ali mednarodni ravni z namenom izboljšanja sodelovanja mladih. Akcija 2 – Evropska prostovoljna služba Akcija 3 – Mladi v svetu Akcija 4 – Podporni sistemi na področju mladine Akcija 5 – Podpora evropskemu sodelovanju na področju mladine Več informacij na http://www.mva.si

Dodatek: Revidirana evropska listina o vključevanju mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje (Listina nima statusa konvencije) Sprejel jo je Kongres lokalnih in regionalnih skupnosti Evrope (10. seja 21. maja 2003, odgovor na priporočilo 128). Uvod Oblikovanje revidirane Evropske listine o vključevanju mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje se je začelo na dveh konferencah o mladinski politiki. Prva je bila organizirana v okviru Stalne konference lokalnih in regionalnih skupnosti Evrope v Luizianu junija 1988, druga pa v Llangollenu septembra 1991. Revidirana Evropska listina o vključevanju mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje je bila sprejeta na Stalni konferenci marca 1992 z resolucijo 237 (člen 22). Ob praznovanju 10. obletnice Evropske listine o vključevanju mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje sta Kongres lokalnih in regionalnih skupnosti Evrope pri Svetu Evrope ter Direktorat Sveta Evrope za mladino in šport organizirala konferenco z naslovom »Mladi – akterji v svojem mestu in regiji« (»Young People - Actors in their Towns and Regions«). Glavni namen konference, ki je potekala v Krakovu 7. in 8. marca 2002, je bil presoditi napredek pri udeležbi mladih v desetih letih od sprejetja listine do danes in poiskati nove poti za spodbujanje vključevanja mladih, med drugim tudi s predstavitvijo “dobre prakse”. Na konferenci so sprejeli Krakovsko deklaracijo, v kateri so potrdili, da so mladi tako kot druge starostne skupine državljani lokalnih skupnosti in regij, v katerih živijo, torej morajo imeti dostop do vseh oblik udeležbe v družbi. Deklaracija potrjuje in spodbuja vlogo mladih pri razvoju demokratične družbe, še posebej v lokalnem in regionalnem javnem življenju. Konferenca prispeva tudi k povezovalnemu projektu Sveta Evrope »Delovanje demokratičnih inštitucij« (»Making Democratic Institutions Work«). Sodelujoči na konferenci so zahtevali odgovor na nove izzive, s katerimi se spoprijemajo mladi v

sodobni družbi. Tako so zahtevali od Kongresa lokalnih in regionalnih skupnosti Evrope in Svetovalnega odbora Sveta Evrope za mladinska vprašanja, da pooblastita strokovnjake, ki bodo pripravili predloge sprememb Evropske listine o vključevanju mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje, da bi bila pripravljena na nove izzive 21. stoletja, kot sta na primer informacijska družba in urbana nevarnost. Delovna srečanja so bila sklicana konec leta 2002 in v začetku 2003. Njihov namen je bil oblikovati okvire za novo različico listine, ki so jo razdelili na tri dele. V prvem delu so lokalnim in regionalnim oblastem dani napotki, kako naj uresničujejo politike na številnih področjih, povezanih z mladimi. V drugem delu so navedeni načini, kako doseči večjo vključenost mladih, v tretjem delu pa nasveti, kako zagotoviti institucionalne možnosti za udeležbo mladih. Preambula Dejavno sodelovanje mladih pri odločitvah in dejavnostih na lokalni in regionalni ravni je ključnega pomena, če hočemo zgraditi bolj demokratično, vključujočo in uspešno družbo. Sodelovanje v demokratičnem življenju skupnosti je več kot le udeležba (aktivna ali pasivna) na volitvah, čeprav je to pomemben sestavni del. Bistvo udeležbe v družbi in aktivnega državljanstva je, da imaš možnost, prostor in podporo, da lahko sodeluješ pri odločanju in vplivaš na odločitve ter se vključuješ v različne dejavnosti in s tem prispevaš h graditvi boljše družbe. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti so mladim najbližje, zato imajo pomembno vlogo pri spodbujanju njihovega sodelovanja. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo zagotoviti, da se mladi ne le učijo o demokraciji in poslušajo o njej, temveč imajo tudi možnost, da jo uporabljajo. Udeležba mladih ni zgolj razvoj aktivnega državljanstva in graditev demokracije za prihodnost. Vključenost je pomembna za mladino že zdaj. Tudi ko so še mladi, morajo imeti vpliv pri odločitvah in oblikovanju dejavnosti, ne le pozneje v življenju. Če lokalne in regionalne oblasti podpirajo in spodbujajo vključevanje mladih, s tem prispevajo tudi k njihovi vključenosti v družbo. Pomagajo jim, da se lažje spoprijemajo z izzivi in pritiski mladosti ter

sodobne družbe, v kateri prevladujeta avtonomnost in individualnost. Če naj bo vključevanje mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje uspešno, trajno in pomembno, potrebujemo več kot zgolj razvoj/prestrukturiranje političnih in/ali upravnih sistemov. Vsaka politika ali delovanje, zasnovano za spodbujanje vključevanja mladih, mora potekati v takem kulturnem okolju, ki spoštuje mlade in upošteva njihove različne potrebe, položaj in težnje. Vključevati mora tudi prvine zabave in užitka. Načela 1. Vključevanje mladih v lokalno in regionalno življenje mora biti del celovite politike udeležbe državljanov v javnem življenju, kot je že zapisano v Priporočilu Odbora ministrov državam članicam o udeležbi državljanov v lokalnem javnem življenju, Priporočilo (2001) 19. 2. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti so prepričane, da morajo vse področne politike zajemati tudi razsežnost mladih. Zato so pripravljene upoštevati določila te listine in sprejeti različne oblike udeležbe mladih, ki bodo oblikovane ob posvetovanju in sodelovanju z mladimi in njihovimi predstavniki. 3. Načela in oblike udeležbe mladih, ki jih zagovarjamo v tej listini, se nanašajo na vse mlade brez zapostavljanja. Zato moramo posebno pozornost posvetiti spodbujanju vključevanja mladih iz odrinjenih delov družbe ter etničnih, narodnih, socialnih, spolnih, kulturnih, verskih in jezikovnih manjšin v lokalno in regionalno življenje.

Prvi del: Področne politike Politika preživljanja prostega časa in družbenokulturnih dejavnosti 4. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti bodo podpirale organiziranje različnih družbeno-kulturnih dejavnosti, ki jih pripravljajo mladinske organizacije in zveze /servisne organizacije za mlade/, mladinske skupine in mladinski centri ter skupaj z družino, šolo in delom pomenijo enega od stebrov družbenega sozvočja v lokalni skupnosti ali regiji; ostajajo idealna pot za dejavno vključevanje mladih in uresničevanje mladinske politike na različnih področjih, kot so šport, kultura, obrt in trgovina, glasbena ustvarjalnost in izražanje, gledališče in umetnost, ter na širšem družbenem področju. 5. Da bi razvile lokalni in regionalni sektor mladinskih organizacij, se lokalne in regionalne oblasti zavezujejo, da bodo s pomočjo ustreznih ukrepov podpirale organizacije, ki usposabljajo vodje mladinskih klubov in organizacij kot tudi socialne delavce ter igrajo pomembno vlogo v lokalnem in regionalnem življenju. 6. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo spodbujati vse organizacije, da bodo podpirale dejavno udeležbo mladih tudi v njihovih organih. Politika spodbujanja zaposlovanja mladih in zniževanja stopnje njihove brezposelnosti 7. Ekonomske in socialne razmere, s katerimi se spoprijemajo mladi, omejujejo njihovo zmožnost in pripravljenost za sodelovanje v lokalni skupnosti. Če so mladi brezposelni ali živijo v revščini, imajo manj volje, sredstev in družbene podpore za dejavno udeležbo v lokalnem in regionalnem življenju. Mladi, ki so brezposelni, imajo več možnosti, da so izključeni iz družbe. Zato morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti oblikovati politiko za zmanjševanje njihove brezposelnosti. 8. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo: ob posvetovanju z mladimi (vključno s tistimi, ki so brezposelni ali tvegajo, da to postanejo), lokalnimi delodajalci, trgovinskimi zvezami, izobraževalnimi ustanovami, zavodi za zaposlovanje ter z mladinskimi organizacijami razviti politike in programe z 29

namenom ugotoviti vzroke za brezposelnost mladih in spodbujati zaposlitvene možnosti mladih; ustanoviti lokalne centre za zaposlovanje, ki bi zagotovili posebno pomoč in podporo pri iskanju ustrezne in stalne zaposlitve za mlade. Mladi brezposelni imajo pravico, da sodelujejo pri upravljanju teh centrov, če tako želijo; podpirati mlade pri ustanavljanju lastnih podjetij s sofinanciranjem in drugimi oblikami podpore (z dovoljenji, opremo, usposabljanjem, strokovnimi nasveti, …); spodbujati eksperimentiranje mladih na področju družbene ekonomije, njihove pobude za samopomoč ali kooperative v okviru skupnosti. Stanovanjska politika in politika varovanja okolja ter ureditve prometnih povezav 9. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti se skupaj s predstavniki mladinskih organizacij zavezujejo, da bodo ustvarile razmere za razvoj politike urbanega okolja, ki bo temeljila na bolj povezanem in manj razdrobljenem življenjskem okolju ter bo spodbujala razvoj socialne interakcije in visoko kakovostnih javnih prostorov. 10. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo dati prednost tistim stanovanjskim politikam in politikam urbanega okolja, ki vključujejo mlade ter združujejo lokalno in regionalno izvoljene predstavnike, finančnike, vodje zvez/organizacij in arhitekte. Njihova naloga je: sestaviti programe za bivanje v bolj harmoničnem okolju, ki bodo dobro vplivali na osebnostni razvoj in razvoj resnične medgeneracijske solidarnosti; razviti konkretno politiko urbanega okolja, ki bo upoštevala družbeno in kulturno sožitje prebivalcev pri (pre)oblikovanju stanovanjskih programov. 11. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti se zavezujejo, da bodo (v tesnem sodelovanju s predstavniki mladinskih organizacij, organizacijami najemnikov in potrošnikov, nepridobitnimi stanovanjskimi organizacijami in socialnimi delavci) pospeševale razvoj obstoječih struktur socialne pomoči:

lokalnih informacijskih centrov za reševanje stanovanjskih vprašanj mladih;lokalnih shem (posojila z nizkimi obrestnimi merami ipd.), ki bi mladim omogočile lažji dostop do stanovanja. 12. Lahek dostop do javnih prevoznih sredstev, katerih glavni uporabniki so mladi, omogoča njihovo mobilnost. Ta je nepogrešljiva za vključevanje mladih v družbeno življenje in njihovo uživanje polnega državljanstva. 13. Mladi morajo torej sodelovati pri organizaciji javnega prevoza na lokalni in regionalni ravni. Najbolj ogroženim mladim morajo biti namenjeni posebni popusti. 14. Na podeželju sta mobilnost in prevoz nujno potrebna za kakovostno življenje, ne le za zagotovitev udeležbe v javnem življenju. Zato morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti podpirati pobude za prevozne storitve (zasebne in javne, posamezne in kolektivne) ter povečati mobilnost na podeželju za skupine, kot so mladi, ki nimajo drugih prevoznih sredstev. Politika izobraževanja in usposabljanja, ki spodbuja vključevanje mladih 15. Šola ni le ustanova, v kateri mladi preživijo velik del svojega življenja in pridobijo formalno izobrazbo, temveč tudi prostor, kjer se oblikujejo njihovi življenjski nazori in perspektive. Nujno je, da se mladi že med šolanjem učijo o udeležbi v javnem življenju in demokraciji ter da so predavanja o demokraciji, udeležbi v javnem življenju in državljanstvu dostopna in primerno porazdeljena. Šole morajo biti prostor, kjer mladi izkusijo dejansko demokracijo in je njihovo sodelovanje pri odločanju spodbujano, zaželeno in uspešno. Zato morajo: lokalne in regionalne oblasti dejavno podpreti vključenost mladih v šolsko življenje. Zagotoviti morajo finančna in druga sredstva, kot so prostori za sestanke, ki mladim omogočajo ustanovitev demokratičnih šolskih organizacij. Te organizacije naj bodo neodvisne in samoupravne. Če tako želijo, naj

imajo skupaj z učitelji in šolskimi oblastmi pravico do sodelovanja pri sprejemanju odločitev, ki se nanašajo na upravljanje šole; če so lokalne in regionalne oblasti odgovorne za šolski učni program, se morajo pri njegovem oblikovanju vedno posvetovati s študenti in študentskimi zvezami/organizacijami. Prav tako morajo zagotoviti, da sta civilno in politično izobraževanje vključeni v šolski učni program ter so jima znotraj izobraževalnega programa za vse učence namenjena potrebna sredstva in pozornost. Politika mobilnosti in izmenjav 16. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo podpirati tiste organizacije in skupine, ki spodbujajo mobilnost mladih (delavcev, študentov, prostovoljcev, …) s politiko izmenjav. Razviti morajo mrežo politik in zavedanja o “evropskem državljanstvu”. 17. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti naj spodbujajo mlade, njihove organizacije in šole, da dejavno sodelujejo pri skupnih mednarodnih dejavnostih, vseh oblikah izmenjav in evropskih mrežah. Oblasti morajo biti pripravljene finančno podpirati te projekte in tako spodbujati učenje jezikov, medkulturno spoznavanje in izmenjavo izkušenj. 18. Mlade in/ali njihove predstavnike morajo vključiti v skupne odbore in druge organe, ki so odgovorni za te izmenjave.

Zdravstvena politika 19. Da bi spodbujali razvoj in izvajanje projektov, ki jih razvijajo mladi, ter s tem razvoj celostne zasnove zdravstvenega varstva in dinamiko življenja lokalne skupnosti, morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti oblikovati institucionalno strukturo, ki bi omogočala posvetovanje med mladinskimi organizacijami, izvoljenimi predstavniki ter vsemi družbenimi in poklicnimi skupinami, ki se ukvarjajo z razvojem družbene blaginje in zdravstvenim varstvom. 20. Zasvojenost med mladimi s tobakom, alkoholom in drogami je vse pogostejša. Zato morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti skupaj s predstavniki mladinskih organizacij, centri za obveščanje in svetovanje mladim ter zdravstvenimi službami sprejeti in predstaviti lokalne informacijske politike ter prostore za svetovanje. Uvesti morajo posebno izobraževanje za mlade socialne delavce, prostovoljce in vodje organizacij, ki se ukvarjajo z razvojem ali spodbujanjem preventivnih ukrepov in strategij za rehabilitacijo prizadetih ljudi. 21. Število spolno prenosljivih bolezni stalno raste. Zato se lokalne in regionalne oblasti zavezujejo, da bodo okrepile informacijske dejavnosti in preventivne ukrepe za mlade. S tem bodo okrepile duh solidarnosti in spodbujale medsebojne odnose, v katerih ni prostora za moralne obsodbe in družbeno izključenost posameznika. Mladi, predstavniki lokalnih mladinskih organizacij in predstavniki zdravstvenih služb naj tesno sodelujejo pri oblikovanju in izvajanju teh informacijskih dejavnosti in programov. Politika enakih možnosti 22. Za zagotovitev najboljših možnosti za enakopravno zastopanost moških in žensk v lokalnih in regionalnih zadevah morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti sprejeti potrebne ukrepe za lažji dostop mladih moških in žensk do pomembnih položajev v poklicnem življenju ter v lokalni in regionalni politiki. 23. V skladu s svojimi pristojnostmi morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti spodbujati izobraževalno politiko enakosti med moškimi in ženskami vse od zgodnjega otroštva.

24. Za spodbujanje enakosti med ženskami in moškimi morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti:

Posebna kulturna politika

oblikovati srednjeročni načrt, katerega cilj je preseganje neenakosti med mladimi moški in mladimi ženskami;

27. Umetnost in kultura obstajata v oblikah, ki so raznovrstne in se stalno spreminjajo glede na okus, kraj in čas. Sta del pretekle, sedanje in prihodnje osebne in skupne dediščine, h kateri prispevajo uspešne generacije. Sta zrcalo vsake družbe. Pri tem kulturnem razvoju mladi s svojo kulturo in sposobnostjo za pobude, raziskovanje in novosti igrajo pomembno vlogo. Pomembno je, da jim omogočimo dostop do kulture v vseh njenih oblikah in da spodbujamo možnosti za ustvarjalnost tudi na novih področjih.

sprejeti in oceniti ukrepe, ki spodbujajo enake možnosti za dekleta in mlade ženske. 25. Za dosego tega cilja mora ta politika omogočiti dekletom in mladim ženskam: da pridobijo informacije o izobraževanju za pridobitev poklicnih kvalifikacij; da se s pomočjo posebnih štipendij in izobraževalnih tečajev naučijo poklicnih veščin tudi za področja, ki so tradicionalno namenjena moškim; da se na podlagi ženskih kvot usposabljajo za vodenje javnih zadev, tako da so jim zaupane odgovornosti na najvišji ravni; da predstavijo finančne ukrepe za socialne storitve, ki pomagajo dekletom in mladim ženskam. Posebna politika za podeželje 26. Ob upoštevanju drugačnih potreb mladih na podeželju pri razvoju in oblikovanju različnih dejavnosti za spodbujanje udeležbe mladih morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti: zagotoviti izobraževalno, zaposlitveno, stanovanjsko, prometno in druge področne politike, ki se nanašajo na posebne potrebe mladih, ki živijo na podeželju. Ti mladi ne bi smeli imeti ali pričakovati nižje ravni socialnih storitev kot tisti mladi, ki živijo v urbanih središčih; mladinskim in drugim lokalnim organizacijam na podeželju zagotoviti finančno in drugo podporo. Te organizacije lahko spodbujajo družbeno in kulturno življenje v podeželskih skupnostih in so lahko za mlade pomemben socialni dejavnik. Mladinske in druge organizacije ne igrajo pomembne vloge le pri spodbujanju udeležbe mladih, ampak tudi pripomorejo h kakovosti življenja in pri spoprijemanju z vprašanji, kot je na primer izolacija na podeželju.

28. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo v sodelovanju z mladimi in njihovimi organizacijami sprejeti take politike, ki jim bodo dovoljevale, da postanejo kulturni akterji z dostopom do znanja, dostopom do praktične kulture in ustvarjalnih dejavnosti, s prostori in uporabnimi metodami, oblikovanimi v ta namen. Politika uravnoteženega razvoja in okolja 29. Ker se lokalne in regionalne oblasti spoprijemajo z vedno večjim onesnaževanjem okolja, morajo finančno podpirati izobraževalne projekte v šolah in organizacijah, da bi povečale zavedanje o okoljskih problemih. 30. Okoljevarstvena vprašanja zadevajo predvsem mlade, saj se bodo v prihodnosti spopadali s posledicami preteklih zmot. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo podpirati dejavnosti in projekte, ki spodbujajo uravnotežen razvoj in varovanje okolja ter vključujejo mlade in njihove organizacije. Politika boja proti nasilju in kriminalu 31. Zavedati se moramo, da so mladi pogosto žrtve kriminala in nasilja. Spoznati moramo, da je nujno, da najdemo ustrezen odgovor na nasilje in kriminal v sodobni družbi ter da mlade neposredno vključujemo v ta boj.

32. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo: vključiti mlade v odbore za preprečevanje kriminala tam, kjer obstajajo; sodelovati z mladimi, še posebej tistimi, ki so bili že vključeni v kriminal ali tvegajo, da bodo vanj vključeni; z vsemi sredstvi boriti se proti rasističnemu nasilju; boriti se proti vsakršnemu nasilju v šolah v sodelovanju z vsemi pomembnimi akterji, kot so šolske oblasti in policija, učitelji, starši in sami mladi; prispevati k oblikovanju mrež organizacij in projektov, ki podpirajo nenasilje in strpnost v šoli in zunaj nje; narediti vse, kar lahko, da zaščitijo mlade pred spolnimi zlorabami in drugimi oblikami trpinčenja ter da zagotovijo ustrezne strukture za duševno in materialno podporo ter zaupno svetovanje žrtvam. 33. Z upoštevanjem omenjenega bodo lokalne in regionalne oblasti prispevale h graditvi okolja zaupanja in spoštovanja med mladimi in javnimi oblastmi, kot je na primer policija. Politika nezapostavljanja 34. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo dejavno spodbujati človekove pravice in ukrepe proti zapostavljanju manjšin (vključno z njihovimi mladimi člani) ali mladih z okvarami in drugih skupin, ki so lahko žrtve zapostavljanja. Spodbujati morajo razvoj

večkulturne skupnosti z vključevanjem manjšin ob upoštevanju njihovih drugačnih potreb in navad, kulture in življenjskega sloga. 35. V skladu s tem morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti: sprejeti ali ponovno uveljaviti protidiskriminacijsko zakonodajo in zagotoviti vsem državljanom dostop do javnih mest, poklicnega usposabljanja, šolanja, stanovanja, kulturnih dejavnosti in drugih področij življenja. Uspeh bi moral biti nadzorovan in zagotovljen s skupnimi organi, ki jih sestavljajo predstavniki lokalnih vlad ter predstavniki manjšin in mladih; spodbujati medverski dialog, večkulturnost, protirasistično in protidiskriminacijsko izobraževanje kot del šolskega učnega programa. Politika spolnosti 36. V prehodu iz otroštva, ko so odvisni od staršev, šole, verske skupnosti in drugih “oblasti”, v samostojno odraslo življenje se mladi srečujejo z različnimi vprašanji o svojih zasebnih razmerjih (znotraj družine ali ozkega kroga, z vrstniki, prijatelji ali partnerji). V zvezi z njihovo spolnostjo jim ni vedno lahko, tudi če tega niso pripravljeni priznati. Nenehno se tudi srečujejo z brezbrižnostjo do vprašanj, povezanih s spolnim zdravjem, in nezaupanjem do določenih oblik spolnega obnašanja. 37. Da bi mladim pomagali najti njihovo pot k zdravemu in polnemu življenju na tem področju, morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti skupaj z starši, šolo in posebnimi organizacijami spodbujati in podpirati: posredno spolno izobraževanje v šolah; organizacije in službe, ki zagotavljajo informacije o razmerjih, spolnih metodah in načrtovanju družine: skupinsko delo vrstnikov na tem področju. 38. Mladi morajo biti dejavno vključeni v načrtovanje, izvajanje in ocenjevanje informacijskih in drugih služb, ki delujejo na tem področju.

Politika dostopa do pravic in zakonov 39. Družbe temeljijo na pravilih, ki jih morajo vsi spoštovati, če hočemo živeti skupaj. V demokratičnih družbah jih obravnavajo in sprejemajo predstavniki, ki jih izvolijo državljani. Ta pravila so konkretno izražena zlasti v dokumentih, ki obravnavajo pravice in dolžnosti vseh. 40. Število takih dokumentov narašča in vse težje je, da jih posameznik pozna, spoštuje in deluje v skladu z njimi, kar povzroča neenakosti med državljani. To najbolj prizadeva prav mlade. 41. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo zagotoviti mladim dostop do njihovih pravic: z razvojem njihovega znanja skozi širjenje informacij v šolah, skupinah vrstnikov in informacijskih službah; s sklicevanjem na njihove pravice ob pomoči služb, ustanovljenih prav za delo z mladimi, ki to želijo; z dovoljevanjem mladim, da sodelujejo pri oblikovanju novih pravil. Drugi del: Instrumenti za udeležbo mladih 42. Da bi resnično zagotovili sodelovanje mladih, je bila mladim predlagana vrsta instrumentov. To vključuje usposabljanje za udeležbo mladih, njihovo izobraževanje, zagotavljanje sredstev za komuniciranje, podpiranje njihovih projektov, priznavanje večjega pomena predanosti mladih skupnim zadevam in prostovoljnemu delu. Udeležba mladih je pomembna le tam, kjer je vloga mladih v političnih strankah, sindikatih in organizacijah cenjena ter kjer si prizadevajo za spodbujanje mladinskih organizacij med mladimi. Usposabljanje za udeležbo mladih 43. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo ob upoštevanju pomembne vloge šol zagotoviti šolsko okolje, ki podpira in usposablja za udeležbo mladih, ki izobražuje o človekovih pravicah in spodbuja neformalno učenje v šolah. Zagotoviti morajo tudi usposabljanje in podporo za sodelovanje mladih pri organizacijah in v lokalni skupnosti s spodbujanjem:

poklicnega usposabljanja učiteljev in mladinskih delavcev za sodelovanje z mladimi; vseh oblik sodelovanja ljudi v šolah; programov civilnega izobraževanja v šolah; vrstniškega izobraževanja, zagotavljanjem primernih prostorov in sredstev ter s podpiranjem izmenjave “dobrih praks”. Obveščanje mladih 44. Obveščanje je pogosto ključno za udeležbo in mladi imajo pravico do dostopa do informacij o možnostih in zadevah, povezanih z njimi. Ta pravica se v uradnih evropskih in nacionalnih dokumentih vse bolj priznava in ne le v lokalnem in regionalnem življenju. 45. Da bi sodelovali v dejavnostih in življenju v svojih skupnostih ali imeli koristi od služb, namenjenih njim, in priložnosti, jih morajo mladi poznati. Sodelovanje pri dejavnostih in projektih, ki so v njihovem interesu in jih sami organizirajo, so pogosto koraki pri spodbujanju večje vključenosti v skupnost, tudi v njeno politično življenje. 46. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo podpirati in izboljševati obstoječe informacije in svetovalne center za mlade, da bi zagotovile ustrezno kakovost, ki jo zahtevajo mladi. Kjer takih centrov ni, morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti spodbujati nastanek in ustrezno pomagati pri ustanovitvi informacijskih centrov za mlade s pomočjo obstoječe strukture, kot so na primer šole, mladinske službe in knjižnice. Izpeljani morajo biti posebni ukrepi, da bi zadovoljili potrebe po informacijah pri tistih skupinah mladih, ki imajo težave pri dostopu do informacij (jezikovne ovire, nimajo dostopa do medmrežja, …). 47. Informacijski centri za mlade morajo prilagoditi določene poklicne standarde in načela. Javne oblasti

morajo zagotoviti te standarde in spodbujati njihov nenehni razvoj, kadar je to mogoče, v skladu s sprejetimi nacionalnimi (regionalnimi) kakovostnimi merili in standardi. Mladi morajo imeti možnost, da sodelujejo pri pripravi, izvajanju in ocenjevanju teh dejavnosti in dela mladinskih informacijskih centrov, in so predstavljeni v njihovih vladnih organih. Spodbujanje udeležbe mladih z informacijsko in komunikacijsko tehnologijo 48. Informacijska in komunikacijska tehnologija lahko daje nove priložnosti za obveščanje mladih in omogoča njihovo sodelovanje. Uporablja se lahko za izmenjavo različnih informacij in zaradi svoje interaktivnosti spodbuja vključenost mladih. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo to tehnologijo uporabljati pri svojih informacijskih politikah in politikah udeležbe, s tem da je dostop do nje omogočen vsem mladim, s čimer so mišljeni dostopni prostori in usposabljanje za uporabo teh novih orodij. Spodbujanje vključenosti mladih v medijih 49. Medtem ko so mladi večinski uporabniki medijev, so lahko tudi akterji na tem področju, s tem ko se večajo možnosti, ki so jim dane za njihovo izražanje in sodelovanje pri oblikovanju informacij, ki nastajajo v medijih. Ko na svoj način obravnavajo različna vprašanja, omogočajo oblikovanje različnih in velikokrat bolj dosegljivih informacij za svoje vrstnike. To sodelovanje mladim tudi omogoča, da razumejo sestavo informacij in razvijejo potrebno kritičnost. 50. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo torej podpirati oblikovanje in delovanje medijev (radio, televizija, pisni in elektronski časopisi, …), ki jih razvijajo mladi in so namenjeni mladim, kot tudi ustrezne programe usposabljanja. Spodbujanje mladih za prostovoljno delo in predanost skupnim vprašanjem 51. Mladi morajo imeti podporo za sodelovanje pri prostovoljnih dejavnostih. V času, ko so mladi vse bolj pod pritiskom, da jim kot posameznikom uspe pri izobraževanju in delu, je pomembno, da je prostovoljstvo primerno priznano. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo:

nost mladih v prostovoljne dejavnosti, kot so na primer informacijske in predstavitvene kampanje; v sodelovanju z mladimi, prostovoljnimi organizacijami, izobraževalnimi in zaposlitvenimi ustanovami razviti sistem, ki priznava in ceni prostovoljno delo tudi v sistemu formalnega izobraževanja in pri zaposlovanju. Podpiranje mladinskih projektov in pobud 52. Mladi s svojimi upi in željami izražajo zamisli, preoblikovane v projekte in dejavnosti, ki prinašajo koristi za vse. Če tem projektom namenimo dovolj podpore, lahko njihova uspešnost in neuspešnost mladim med odraščanjem pomagata razviti občutek za odgovornost in samostojnost. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo zagotoviti izvajanje teh projektov, tako malih kot velikih. Omogočiti morajo, da pri njihovem izvajanju mladi sodelujejo s profesionalci ter imajo dostop do finančne, materialne in tehnične podpore. Spodbujanje mladinskih organizacij 53. Mladinske organizacije so svojevrstne, saj je njihov glavni namen, da predstavljajo poglede mladih in so namenjene njihovim potrebam in interesom. So prostor, kjer se lahko mladi skupaj s sovrstniki učijo o udeležbi v javnem življenju ter si pridobivajo izkušnje o njenih možnostih in izzivih pri odločitvah in dejavnostih. To so lahko formalne organizacije ali neformalne skupine mladih ljudi. Pomembno je, da imajo mladi možnost, da se po lastni izbiri vključijo v mladinske organizacije v svoji skupnosti. Prav tako morajo imeti možnost, da ustanovijo svojo organizacijo, če tako želijo. Zato: morajo imeti lokalne in regionalne oblasti poseben proračun, namenjen izključno podpiranju mladinskih zvez, ki organizirajo dejavnosti mladih, jim zagotavljajo storitve, so glas mladih v skupnosti ali delujejo v njihovem imenu. Prednost morajo imeti organizacije, ki jih upravljajo mladi, so namenjene mladim in/ali uvajajo politike in sisteme za zagotovitev dejavnega vključevanja mladih;

podpirati ustanavljanje prostovoljnih centrov in spodbujanje razvoja, ki podpira in spodbuja vključe35

morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti v sodelovanju z mladimi in mladinskimi organizacijami oblikovati načela in sisteme odločanja Sveta Evrope na političnih področjih, pomembnih za mlade. Kadar je tako sovodenje vpeljano, morajo biti mladi in mladinske organizacije spoštovani in obravnavani kot polnopravni partnerji. Imeti morajo tudi možnost, da ne sodelujejo. Udeležba mladih v nevladnih organizacijah in političnih strankah 54. Vpliven, neodvisen in dejaven nevladni sektor je nujni sestavni del vsake resnično demokratične družbe. Pomembno je, da so tudi drugi deli civilne družbe, kot so politične stranke, močni in dejavni na lokalni in regionalni ravni. Vključenost v demokratično življenje vsake države, regije ali lokalne skupnosti pomeni več kot le udeležbo na volitvah. Sodelovanje pri nevladnih organizacijah in političnih strankah pomaga državljanom, da stalno dejavno sodelujejo ter imajo vpliv pri odločitvah in dejavnostih. Mladi morajo imeti podporo pri vključevanju v različne organizacije v svojih skupnostih. 55. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo nevladnim organizacijam, ki spodbujajo udeležbo mladih pri njihovem delovanju in demokratičnem sprejemanju odločitev, zagotoviti finančna in druga sredstva. 56. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo v sodelovanju s političnimi strankami na nestrankarski način spodbujati vključevanje mladih v sistem političnih strank. Podpirati morajo posebne ukrepe, kot je na primer usposabljanje. Tretji del: Institucionalizacija udeležbe mladih pri lokalnih in regionalnih zadevah 57. Da bi lahko uresničili področne politike, kot so opredeljene v prvem delu, morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti vpeljati ustrezne strukture, ki mladim omogočajo sodelovanje pri odločitvah in razpravah, ki se nanašajo nanje. 58. Glede na raven, na kateri delujejo, imajo te strukture različno obliko. Delujejo lahko na vasi, v mestu, urbani soseski v mestu in celo v regiji. Ustvariti morajo razmere za odkrit dialog med mladimi ter lokalnimi in regionalnimi oblastmi. Mladim in njihovim predstavnikom morajo omogočiti, da so

enakovredni akterji pri politikah, ki se nanašajo nanje. Te strukture morajo biti predstavniške in stalne. Ukvarjati se morajo z vsemi zadevami, za katere mladi izrazijo zanimanje. Lahko se ustanovi začasna struktura za razpravo o posebnih primerih. Dobro je, da se občasno kombinirajo različne oblike. Mladinski sveti, mladinski parlamenti, mladi forumi 59. Učinkovita udeležba mladih v lokalnih in regionalnih zadevah mora temeljiti na njihovem zavedanju družbenih in kulturnih sprememb, ki se dogajajo v skupnosti. Zahteva stalno predstavniško strukturo, kot so na primer mladinski svet, mladinski parlament ali forum mladih. 60. Taka struktura je lahko sestavljena na podlagi volitev, imenovanja znotraj organizacij mladih in/ali na prostovoljni podlagi. Njihova sestava mora izražati sestavo skupnosti. 61. Mladi morajo prevzeti odgovornost za projekte in imeti dejavno vlogo pri politikah, povezanih z njimi. V ta namen morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti ustvariti strukturo podpore dejavni udeležbi mladih. 62. Te strukture so prostor, kjer mladi svobodno izražajo svojo zaskrbljenost, še zlasti tisto, povezano z oblastmi, in imajo možnost, da jim dajejo predloge. Vprašanja, ki nastajajo, lahko kažejo na tista, omenjena v prvem delu te listine. 63. Te strukture: so lahko forum za svobodno izražanje mladih o njihovi zaskrbljenosti, povezani med drugim s predlogi in politikami oblasti; mladim omogočajo, da dajejo predloge lokalnim in regionalnim oblastem;

omogočajo oblastem, da se posvetujejo z mladimi o posebnih vprašanjih; so forum, kjer se razvijajo, nadzorujejo in ocenjujejo projekti, v katere so vključeni mladi; so forum, ki omogoča posvetovanje z mladinskimi organizacijami in zvezami; omogočajo sodelovanje mladih z drugimi posvetovalnimi organi lokalnih in regionalnih oblasti. 64. Take strukture mladim omogočajo usposabljanje za demokratično življenje in upravljanje javnih zadev, s tem ko jim je dana možnost, da spregovorijo o vprašanjih, s katerimi se srečujejo, in ukrepajo v zvezi z njimi. 65. Mlade moramo spodbujati, da sodelujejo v takih strukturah in dejavnostih, ki potekajo v njihovem okviru. S tem razvijamo njihove sposobnosti, da se učijo načel demokratičnega državljanstva in sodelujejo pri njihovem uresničevanju. Še posebej za mlade, ki so pobudniki projektov in dialoga z oblastmi, te strukture pomenijo usposabljanje za demokratično vodenje. 66. Koristi od večje učinkovitosti, ki jo lahko prinese sodelovanje mladih v teh strukturah, morajo imeti tako lokalne in regionalne oblasti kot mladi. Mlade je treba spodbujati, da uresničujejo svoje civilne pravice, kot je pravica do sodelovanja na volitvah in pri drugih oblikah glasovanja, vključno z referendumom.

Podpora strukturam za udeležbo mladih 67. Da bi strukture udeležbe mladih učinkovito delovale, pa naj so formalne ali neformalne, so potrebna sredstva in podpora. Za nemoteno in učinkovito delovanje morajo lokalne in regionalne oblasti zagotoviti prostore, finančna sredstva in materialno podporo. Zagotovitev teh sredstev pa tem strukturam ne preprečuje, da bi pridobile dodatna sredstva iz drugih virov, kot so zasebne donacije. 68. Lokalne in regionalne oblasti morajo tem strukturam zagotoviti podporo. Zato morajo imenovati poroka, osebo ali skupino oseb, na katero se lahko, kadar je to potrebno, obrnejo in ki spremlja izvajanje teh ukrepov. 69. Taka oseba ali skupina oseb mora biti neodvisna od politične strukture in strukture udeležbe mladih. Imenovanje mora biti sporazumno. 70. Naloge te osebe ali skupine oseb so med drugim: da je posrednik med mladimi in izvoljenimi predstavniki lokalnih in regionalnih oblasti pri vprašanjih, ki nastajajo na eni ali drugi strani; da je zagovornik mladih nasproti lokalnim in regionalnim oblastem v napetih situacijah; da z njeno pomočjo lokalne in regionalne oblasti komunicirajo z mladimi; da pripravlja redna poročila o namerah mladih ter lokalnih in regionalnih oblasti, v katerih oceni raven sodelovanja mladih v lokalnem in regionalnem življenju, na primer z izvajanjem projektov, vključenostjo v strukture udeležbe mladih in učinki njihove udeležbe.

Say it out loud! Povej naglás! Expresate! Izsakies skaļi!

Contents Introduction

Say It Out Loud! Project

Without Percentages, There Are No Arguments

Analysis of Youth in the District of San Blas (Madrid, Spain)

Young People in Jelgava, Latvia

Letters to the Mayor of Ajdovščina (Slovenia)

Letters to Mayors of Jelgava (Latvia) and Madrid (Spain)

Looking for a Job Is Already a Full-time Job (youth employment)

Formal vs. Informal 3:1 (youth education)

Spare Time Is Beautiful. Let Us Keep It that Way. (youth’s leisure activities)

A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body (youth health)

Functioning of the Municipal Administration and Municipal Council in Slovenia

How to Reach Local Political Decision Makers in Slovenia

How to Reach Local Political Decision Makers in Latvia

Meetings of Participants of the Say It Out Loud! Project

Example of Good Practice – Young People’s House Ajdovščina

Example of Good Practice – Children and Youth Centre Junda

Project Partners

Youth in Action Programme

Appendix: Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life

Introduction They say that today’s young people are the leaders of tomorrow, that young people are the hope for our future, that we have powerful potential in our youth… All this is true, but to achieve success and to bring those words to life, there is a lot of work to be done by determined individuals and groups of young people supported by others with common interests. Only persistence, ambition, hard work and constant appearances in the media, which will recognize the young as important, will result in a world depending on young people as their future leaders and drawing energy from them to grow. Certain groups of young people were taken into consideration, their individual wishes were fulfilled in the past, but young people are still pushed to fringes of our society and their opinions are not taken into account. Young people have to make sure that politicians include them on their agendas. Politicians and society have to include them in their decision-making processes when speaking about subjects that concern them, such as housing, employment, spare time, education and others. Local communities have to – first and foremost – learn to listen to young people, to take their needs into consideration, as well as their interests and wishes, and assure their presence and cooperation when deciding on these matters.

to encourage young people to participate actively and raise them into independent individuals and active citizens. A democratic environment has to be created within organizations, which enables young people and provides an incentive for them to express their opinion, in order for it to be heard and taken into consideration. The publication before you is the final product of the Say it out loud! project, a project for democracy from the Youth in Action program and the Youth Council of Ajdovščina is the project’s sponsor. The project’s intention was to stimulate young people and municipal administrations to work hand-inhand by carrying out different activities. The youth council of Ajdovščina worked with five partners from three different countries: the municipality of Ajdovščina and two other partners from Lithuania and two partners from Spain. This is why the book before you is written in four languages – Slovene, English, Spanish and Lithuanian – and it represents the work done in three local environments, where the same activities were simultaneously performed. They said it out loud – so that they were heard.

Young people have an opportunity to influence the opinion of the local community and politicians; that is why it is important for them to get organized and unite themselves into different interest groups (most often youth organizations and clubs) through which they assert their interests, try to fulfill their wishes and meet their needs. It is important that young people recognize the organizations that can help them meet their expectations, voice their opinion and see them being taken into account. Young people have to realize the importance of their decisions, their contribution to society and how important it is for them to be actively involved in it, thus becoming active, independent citizens. Youth organizations have to represent young people’s interests and provide them with the opportunity to express themselves, to take part in decision-making within the organization itself first and later teaching them to shape and express their opinions, which can greatly influence changes in society and contribute to its development. We have 41

Say It Out Loud! Project Ajdovscina - Jelgava - Madrid: February 2009 - April 2010 The idea for this project was developed from the needs of young people in Ajdovščina. The project was designed so that the group of young people who took part worked together in two different roles – as those preparing the activities connected to the project and as those who were actively included in all of the activities. The purpose of the project was to encourage young people and municipal boards to cooperate. It encouraged young people to provide their opinions to municipal boards and those who make decisions about topics concerning them, while the board was encouraged to take young people’s opinions into account; furthermore, the project showed both sides how important is to work in close cooperation. With this project, we wanted young people to see and to become familiar with possibilities enabling them to express their opinions and reach the local decision makers, so that they could influence their opinion and decisions. The young people learned how the municipal council and municipal administration functions and became acquainted with the structures that can help them reach local decision makers. First and foremost, the project was intended to show young people that it is vital to actively participate in the processes of decision making to reach their goals. Different partners worked on the project, from Jeglava (Lithuania) and Madrid (Spain), who were all simultaneously performing the same activities in their local environments as we did in Ajdovščina. This enabled us to compare the final results and to discover similarities and differences of the state and needs of young people in three different local environments. One of the project’s intentions, which arose from the international partnership, was to compare already-existing youth structures in three countries, and to demonstrate examples of good instances of youth organizations in Europe, which we also had a look at in each of the countries, during the project’s three meetings of the participants. With the help of different activities incorporated in the project, we encouraged the young people to become active citizens, we strengthened the mutual understanding and cooperation of young people from different countries and guided them to develop quality programs and activities. The public was indirectly included in the project as well; we tried to make it more sensitive for the youth organizations and to encourage young people to actively participate in their everyday life.

The project was divided into many phases, content wise, which were all intertwined. Roughly speaking, the first five months were devoted to identifying young people’s needs, and so we performed following activities: · An analysis of young people’s needs in their local environment, with which we tried to find out how young people spend their spare time, how much they know about youth organizations working in their local environment and how involved they themselves are, and about their wishes and needs within their community · Youth public discussions: we held numerous public discussions considering certain topics – the health of young people, their spare time activities, their employment and education · “My letter to the mayor” – we prepared a literary competition for young people so that they could express their opinions about local politics and the state of young people in the form of a letter addressed to the mayor. We collected all of the letters and handed the best ten percent over to the mayors. Within the project, we have organized a preparatory meeting and three meetings of participants (in Slovenia, Lithuania and Spain) intended for discussion and the comparison of activities performed simultaneously in all three countries. We have also discussed the situation and needs of young people in individual local communities, as well as possibilities for cooperation with local decision makers in individual countries. After identifying the needs of young people coming from the participants’ local communities, the second and the essential phase of the project began – the delivering of information to local authorities – during which we performed following activities: · The participation of young participants in a municipal council’s sitting, where the participants of the project presented results of analyses to councilors and suggested possibilities for resolving the problems identified during the first phase of the project. · In connection with cooperation with the municipal board, we reached an agreement on establishing a long-term partnership among local authorities and young people. We studied these forms of partnership: mayor of youth, council of youth, youth council, youth committee and others, and then chose the most suitable form for each environment and tried it in practice. · Simulations of municipal council meetings were

also closely connected to delivering information to decision makers. We carried out such simulations in which project participants and other interested people discussed the topics that were being dealt with by the municipal council at the same time. Their voting results with an abstract of the debate were handed over to decision makers, who then also had the young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinions with arguments prior to their voting. Coming to the end of phase two, which intertwined with phase three, the final phase of the project, we presented possibilities (studied with local authorities in advance) and ways for those who were interested on how to submit opinions to local authorities. Specifically, we came to the conclusion that young people do not know how to reach their local board or politicians. An important part of the project, the third and final phase of this project, was to issue this publication. It has been prepared in all three participant countries, in four languages (Slovene, English, Lithuanian and Spanish); out of these four parts, the Slovene and the English are the most important and represent (along with information found on the internet) the main product of the project, which enables our voice to be heard. Out loud.

Without Percentages, There Are No Arguments About the analysis of youth in Ajdovščina, Slovenia The analysis of the state of youth in Ajdovščina was conducted on multiple levels. The final results are composed of results acquired with the help of a questionnaire (young people’s opinions), youth public debates and desk research. We questioned people at youth organizations, major events in the municipality and at Veno Pilon Ajdovščina high school. The Youth Council of Ajdovščina collected a total of 315 questionnaires filled out correctly. The questionnaire was divided into different sections according to content: - The period of youth - Youth organizations in the municipality of Ajdovščina - Hiša mladih (House of Youth) - Other organizations for young people - Young people’s spare time - Information on youth events - Tourism for young people in Ajdovščina - Young people’s wishes - Young people’s volunteer work - Young people’s motivation - Political participation of young people - Employment With this questionnaire, we wanted to target young people aged between fifteen and thirty years. With few exceptions, we reached that group of people. The majority of respondents were high school students, since we got in touch with them with almost no difficulty via Veno Pilon high school. The next group is university students, whom we reached via our student club, and last but not least, all of the other respondents, who filled out questionnaires at various events or got them with the help of members of the Say it out loud! project group

From the analysis according to thematic sectons The period of youth

With this question, we wanted to monitor the sociological definition of young people, which defines the period of youth as a time span between puberty and milestones of growing up (getting a job, moving out of your parents’ house, creating a family, having children, etc.). Only 18 percent of the young consider the period of youth as something limited by their age, others relate the definition with milestones of growing up.

Not many respondents answered this question. Among the relevant answers, we find only those mentioning the lack of organizations that would provide a link between young people and music, and organizations for those between the age of 25 and 30 years.

The majority of answers to this question show the necessity for youth organizations to relate more closely to the young people not residing in AjdovĹĄÄ?ina, and the potential possibility of establishing new types of youth organizations in the municipality.

Spare time Youth peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spare time or their leisure activities always raise a lot of attention . We also wanted to see if the myths that set young people in front of televisions and computer screens are valid. You can find all of the answers at our website www.say-out-loud.eu, since we are publishing only some of the initial findings in this publication.

Information on youth events

Young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wishes

Political participation of youth

Analysis of Youth in the District of San Blas (Madrid, Spain) The origin of this district is linked to the arrival of thousands of immigrants from different Spanish rural areas to the capital in the 50s and 60s; in order to host all this population there was an important urban development action with the construction of hundreds of homes. San Blas became the paradigm of the working class district of Madrid, where different models of social houses were built, populated by families with few economic resources. In the eighties the rate of the young population - the children of the first settlers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is the highest in the capital. The problem of drugs emerges strongly in the neighbourhood; The rate of school failure is high and jobs are scarce. The family environment has high levels of overcrowding, very high rates of unemployment, especially youth unemployment, but also unemployment of parents, affected by industrial restructuration. The family roles are modified and women also start working in order to contribute to income of the family.

Result of the questionnaires and desk research

Social problems, i.e., acts of injustice, inequalities, lack of social support and poverty (6%), politicians and political parties (6%) and education (5%) appear to be of less concern. Level of satisfaction and state of mind

The morphology of the district continues changing. Neighbourhoods built in the 50s and 60s are now surrounded by blocks of cooperatives, attached and one-family houses with swimming pools. It is a district in which one can observe an increasing socioeconomic contrast. Close to this urban development of middle and high classes, the most modest neighbourhoods are kept. The population there is more likely to suffer unemployment and lower incomes in the district. The percentage of immigrant population is low compared to the average of the capital. It is also concentrated in the most humble and oldest part of the district, as well as the old population of the district.

Young people in our country are highly satisfied with their current situation. As many as 83 % say that they are satisfied with their situation and 17% say that they are not. Family and friends represent the main emotional pillars. Education, work, economic situation and housing are their primary concerns

Financial situation of the young Among the young surveyed, 27% are fully independent financially; that is, they live only on their own income. The rest (73%) depend on the financial help of others to live (their parents in particular). Types of economies of the young Dependent economy (42%): - Studying, - among the youngest, - live in family home, - single, - middle cass. Semi-dependent economy (28%): - Studying and working, - old reoups, - live in family home, - single. Independent economy (29%): - Working, - among the eldest, - live in own home, - married / with partner, - provide highest household income. State of Health The young people would appear to be healthy: - Approximately one in every four young people (26%) consider that they are very healthy, 58% think that they are healthy, 15% state that their health is average and less than 2% of young people describe their health as being poor. - The primary threat to youth health is “traffic accidents”, the second threat is “other accidents” associated with “male imprudence”. The third threat is suicide, although the suicide rate in Spain is one of the lowest in Europe. - Alcohol consumption by young people is decreasing and so is the consumption of illegal drugs. - The numbers of new cases of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS are falling steadily, particularly among young people, although they are still the highest in Europe. - The use of means of protection to prevent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections remains stable, although there has been an improvement among young Spanish people and a setback among

young immigrants. The number of abortions has risen, although it has fallen slightly among young people of Spanish origin. - The majority of young people have had sexual relations, particularly as of the age of eighteen. In this respect, the differences between young women and young men are disappearing. The average age of the first sexual relation is 16 years and ten months. From the perspective of health, the sexual behaviour of young people has never been more prudent. Youth leisure - Young people have approximately 25 hours per week available for leisure or free time. Young women have about three hours less than young men. The younger the age, the more free time available, and it is particularly as of the age of 25 when we can detect a loss of free time, which coincides with the obligations which young people begin to take on at that age. The so-called young adolescents have 3 ½ hours more available for leisure than young adults. - Young people have an average of approximately 55 euros per week for their leisure. The amount of money available for leisure increases as young people get older. There is 19 euros difference per week between the amounts available to young men and to young women. - As in the last few years, young people’s favourite activities continue to be, with a percentage of approximately 90%, listening to music (CDs, tapes, etc.), going out or getting together with friends and watching television. - These activities are followed by listening to the radio (70%), going shopping (70%), spending time with one’s partner (70%) and reading newspapers and magazines (68%). - As regards the less preferred activities by young people these coincide with the ones they practice less: performing associative and voluntary activities (14%), attending conferences (11%) and going to the theatre (10%). - The gap between young people’s leisure desires and practices has increased. Young people manifest clear signs of dissatisfaction with most leisure activities, as they cannot practice them as much as they would like to. Among the activities that young people would like to perform but cannot do so, travelling particularly stands out (40%), followed by going on excursions (34%), going to concerts (33%) and going to the theatre (30%). Youth and employment - The average age when young people have their first 49

paid labour experience is 18, though the law allows them to work at the age of 16. It is interesting to note that 22% of the young people aged 20 to 24 say they have not had any paid jobs. - The relation between the first job and the studies carried out shows an imbalance between training and jobs. Seven out of ten young people (69%) state that this job did not have anything to do with their studies, and another 10% declared that their labour activity did not have much to do with their training. It takes more than seven months to find a first paid job. It takes longer for young women to find jobs (9.3 months) than men (6 months) to find a job. - Two thirds of young people’s first jobs had a temporary contract. Almost one out of ten had no contract at all. The most usual way for young people to search for a first job is to ask friends and family members - The vast majority (77%) considers that the most important features a job should have are security and stability and 17% of young people value a high salary as the main feature of a job. Participation in Associations - The knowledge that young people have on youth associations seems to be very polarised between one half who affirms having knowledge of some youth association or organisation (49%) and the other half (50%) who affirms having no knowledge of any type of youth association or organisation. A high level of education seems to have a direct influence on young people’s knowledge of associtons. - As regards young people’s connections with associations, the data obtained show that the majority of young people have never been members (46%), 28% affirm that they were members at the time of the survey and 27% that they were members in the past but no longer were at the time of the survey. - The type of organisation: sports (37%), cultural (14%), recreational (10%), student (13%), religious (11%) and outings associations (10%) - The reason most often given by young people as justification for participating in associations is: dedicating their leisure time to the activities they enjoy (42%). This is followed by altruistic reasons, such as feeling useful by helping others (14%). Other important reasons for participating are to do with young people’s affinities and interests: being with people who think alike (11%) and because friends belong to the association (10%). - The main reasons put forward by young people who currently do not collaborate with any

association are mainly not having given it serious thought (35%) and lack of time (30%). Other less important reasons for not participating are preferring activities with friends (8%), can’t be bothered (7%) and not having enough information on associations (7%). Voluntary experience - Almost a third of young people say they have experience in volunteer activities: 10% collaborate nowadays and 18% does not, although they have done before - Among the reasons for not taking part, given by these young people. we can underline, above all, the lack of time (46%) and the fact that they have not thought about it seriously (27%). - Amongst the most popular voluntary activities for people and organisations in our society, the most interesting ones for young people are those related with childhood and youth (14%), help to the third world and countries in conflict (11%), working with disabled people (11%), ecology and environment (10%) and work related to health (9%). - This is followed by working with old people (8%), drug addicts and alcoholics (7%), working with the poor (7%) and with immigrants (6%). The less popular voluntary activities for young people in our country are cultural activities and restoration of heritage (4%), helping with emergencies (3%), support for women (3%) and people with aids (2%).

Young People in Jelgava, Latvia Youngsters in Latvia, in Jelgava are quite active, they take part in many events, they attend events which are organised by the city, the school, organisations and others. Based on statistics, young people attend musical events more than other events. Latvian youngsters rather spend time with friends than alone. They prefer attending social events with friends, not by themselves. Latvian youngsters quite often try something new, they always take part in new activities. Young people in Latvia will always find a way to have fun, as long as there are the right people to do it with. Youth tribunes In Latvia we had two different youth tribunes. The first one was about violence amongst youth. We had a very interesting discussion about this and we realized that violence in Latvia is more common among younger children, because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t value other lives and thoughts as grown ups might. When you are older you realize that thinking differently is something to be proud of and not something to hide

and be ashamed of. Everyone also agreed that there is always that factor that everyone wants to be in the group, so they may do some violent things to others just to prove that they belong to the group. But this happens more or less if the person is not intelligent and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any kind of sympathy for others. We came to the conclusion that, if we want to stop violence among youth, we need to teach our children that violence is bad, need to educate the parents on how to teach children, and educate teachers so they can see and stop violence if it is happening. The second youth tribune we had was about employment in Latvia. Because of the economical crisis many companies go bankrupt, so people lose their jobs and unemployment is a big problem in Latvia. It is hard for an adult to find a job, let alone for an inexperienced youngster or a student. It is impossible. Of course there are some jobs you can find if you go to the employment service. Those jobs are given to needy youngsters, possibly from disfunctional families. Everyone at the youth tribune agreed that the easiest way to find a job is through some acquaintances and connections.

Letters to the Mayor of Ajdovščina (Slovenia) Dear Mayor, Today I asked my three-year-old daughter, Lara, “When you grow up into a woman like me, which city would you like to live in?” “In Ajdovščina,” she replied. I smiled. Ajdovščina of the present, Ajdovščina of the past, Ajdovščina of the future. I ponder. We, young people, need encouragement, challenges and new experience. We need good motivation to enjoy the process of life and to create positively. Certainly, our quality of life and a safe future must be taken care of first; and here I will mention the most basic, primal thing, which practically seems self-evident to us and yet it is not. Our air, water and our environment. Let us provide the basic quality of life for the youth – clean air, water and food. Let us plant trees for them and for us. Dear mayor, give a tree to every first-year pupil. May each child and their parents plant it, saying “May this tree grow as my knowledge grows in school.” Appoint a public space, where everyone without their own land can plant a tree. It could be beside a parking lot, a pavement, a road, a motorway. Beside a river bed, the nature trail leading to the Hubelj spring, a hiking trail leading to Gora, in a park, in a forest, beside fields and field paths, beside a landfill, a gas terminal, a sewage plant, or beside a potential incineration plant. As a counterbalance to global economy where nothing is for free; as an example for the youth to show that, nevertheless, nature gives for free, and that not everything we need for our existence can only be found in shops. Let us plant trees; ornamental and fruit trees. They should be old tree species that do not require spraying and intensive pruning as the city does not need an additional kind of pollution. We will thus preserve rare species for future generations and will not increase municipal maintenance expenses. The trees will grow and inspire us with their diversity and perfection in the rhythm of the seasons. In summer heat they will lure us under their cool shade and offer us their fragrances, beauty and fruits. Their roots will firm the ground, and enrich and protect the soil with their fallen leaves. They will hold back a fast outflow of water during downpours, and they will increase the humidity in the surroundings due to their deep roots during drought. Numerous birds and other tiny creatures – including bees – will find their home in the treetops. In the morning and in

the evening, the city will echo with a beautiful birdsong. We will have a good night’s sleep without the noise from the motorway, where drivers will drive safely, sheltered from gusts of bora. The trees will be an extra reason to walk instead of drive to work or school, to indulge in fresh air, fresh food and the beauty of nature, and thus to fill up with energy for the forthcoming creative day. Dear mayor, let the care for the basic quality of life become a tradition. Let the Municipality of Ajdovščina take this activity into the world of the future. Yours faithfully,

Veronika Kete Paunovski

Dear Mayor, There are less and less young people and more and more elderly people. We, young people, do not find this situation rosy, and so I appeal to you, sir, for radical changes that would ease the youth’s position in the Municipality of Ajdovščina. The situation is rather alarming as the majority of young people encounter serious problems that unwittingly have an indirect influence on their life. Ajdovščina offers us plenty of organizations, which are focused mainly on the youth. There are a youth centre, the House of the Young, a lot of youth organizations and activities, but there are few young people who participate in these events. The reasons for this problem are simple and the problem itself can be resolved. Many young people are too lazy to take part in any sort of activities, so we have to encourage them; most likely from their early age, because the youngest children are the most curious ones and find interest in everything. It is therefore necessary to begin with the youngest children! The second reason is ignorance. I know a lot of citizens of Ajdovščina who do not know at all about the activities and possibilities of spending their free time. It is necessary to attract the youth’s attention in both an interesting and amusing way, as this would attract them more than a mere dull advertisement in a local newspaper. The third problem lies in the House of the Young itself. Speaking for myself, seeing it for the first time frightened me - as the house is, as a very old building, unattractive to the youth. I believe it is in urgent need of renovation to attract that audience.

Ajdovščina is a very attractive city because of its extraordinary historical and cultural value, but this is not what attracts young people. The elderly population is larger than young in Ajdovščina, mostly because the young have few opportunities to study and also little opportunities to find work. Lately it has become apparent that those of further education have greater opportunity for employment than those of lower education. The closer the university, the stronger preference for the city. I believe that it is important to ensure that the youth have more opportunities for further education. Every city has to suit both younger and elderly people. It is reasonable for the city to grow, to ensure more posts, but it also needs more sport and recreational facilities. Otherwise, we, young people, will become old too fast. There are a few sports fields in Ajdovščina but they are unfortunately unavailable for schools or non-members of a club. A lot of young people ride a bicycle in the city, but they are forced to use the road and therefore obstruct the fast-flowing traffic. More cycling and running tracks, tracks for roller-skaters, more pavements for the disabled, walkers and also young families with strollers (many pavements are too narrow)… The youth love extreme sports; maybe the city needs a go-cart track, a dance floor for the young, playgrounds for children, leisure centres (bowling, billiard, board games…), halls for rent (birthday parties, anniversaries, events, meetings, conferences…) – all these things would attract young people to our city. I realize this would require a lot of investment but it would attract a lot of young people to our city. It would lead to the construction of new apartments (which would be reasonably priced, and not too expensive), we would get new posts, new personnel… These investments would certainly be useful. We, the citizens of Ajdovščina, need to take care of our city and give the young what they want (entertainment, education, home…) because this is the only way for our city, Ajdovščina, to stay full of life.

Dear Mayor of the Municipality of Ajdovščina, I would like to talk about the current situation concerning adolescents from Ajdovščina and its surrounding area. These days, the youth want to spend their energy mostly for wild parties that last all night long. There are more and more of those who find it important to spend their free time at various parties. I realise there are many youth organisations in Ajdovščina focused upon diverse domains; for example a scout unit, the Student Club of Ajdovščina, the Youth Section of the Mountaineering Society Ajdovščina... However, the problem lies in insufficient state funding of youth organisations. Despite the considerable effort the youth organisations put into working – advertising, various projects and events – a large number of young people unfortunately do not participate in the events. It is possible that they are not well enough informed or that they do not feel like participating at all. I believe Ajdovščina has enough diverse organisations, which are united in the Youth Council of Ajdovščina. The aforementioned problem is that of insufficient funding that would give new momentum to the organisations and thus enable them to work better and more efficiently. At present, I think the future is in informing people about the opportunities within the Municipality of Ajdovščina, and hoping the State becomes aware of the situation that the youth are in and makes their life better by funding youth organisations across the country. I believe that together, by expressing our wishes and giving suggestions, we can contribute to a much better environment for our youth. Tadej Lozar

Tjaša Prelaz

Letters to Mayors of Jelgava (Latvia) and Madrid (Spain) Honoured Mr Andris Ravins My name is Rudolfs Rozenvalds. I am writing to you to express my vision for the future of youth friendly environment in Jelgava. The society of course wants the next generation to grow up as well as it can. To be smarter, more intelligent and have higher aspirations. The state of youth in the future is determined by factors today like the quality of education, for example. If we wish each succeeding generation to be a valuable part of an increasingly better society, we need to take care of our community, because community is particularly important for young people, who have not yet reached adulthood. Since I am a part of the next generation, part of the youth, it is quite easy for me to see what should be improved and I would like to express my opinion. As a part of my vision for youth friendly environment I would like to propose establishing of a developed park area where young people can come together and enjoy themselves. At the park, near beautiful flower beds, a wonderful fountain is located, where young people can relax in a hot summer day. There are a lot of benches, which have not felt the effects of vandalism, as people no longer damage the environment in which they live. There are no graffiti marks on any of the urban houses and fences, because young people no longer feel the need to spoil the city view. They use their creative talents with spray paint canisters at specially designated spots. Another important part of my vision lies in the opportunities for young people to spend their time engaged in physical activities. I would like to see many football fields and basketball courts. People could also simply jog along the landscaped bank of river Lielupe and enjoy the beauty of the city or move through the city using non-motorized means of transport. Wherever you may want to go, it would always be possible to get there on a bike, since in my vision there are bike lanes in each street. Continuing on with my dream for the future, I would like to say that young people are not just active and neat, but also intellectual. There is a great number of workshops and extracurricular activities that young people can participate in. For example there are many possibilities to pursue environmental sciences, history, math and languages in study groups. This

would not only be beneficiary to the youth. The whole society gains by the prospect of having better specialists in various fields in the future. In my vision of the future the youth has a great many of opportunities to enroll in a wide variety of international projects gaining knowledge about other countries and leaving a positive impression about the city of Jelgava and the whole of Latvia. Another important thing is the possibility to attend different types of cultural events like exhibitions, concerts and competitions. There are a lot of minute details which make the life more enjoyable. This is only my dream. Maybe it is a utopia that will never come true, but I hope it will. I hope that by changing things Jelgava can truly become a better place where young people can live and take pride in the fact that they are the citizens of Jelgava. I truly hope so, because I care. The future begins now and for things to change everyone must do their part.

Honoured Mr. Ravins, I am writing to you because I want to express my opinion on youth friendly environment in your city Jelgava. This is very important to me. It concerns me if teenagers including myself live in a friendly enough city. I should thank the city for the possibilities that the young people have: to go to Sport school, Art school and Music school and choose from many other activities like hockey, basketball, football, other sports, dancing, singing and all the workshops in the youth centre â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jundaâ&#x20AC;?. I guess I could go on and on. I think that in every school there is a choir, dancing, not to mention very specific hobby groups like politics, debate and language courses. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if they are in every school, but you can join hobby groups at other schools as well. The city provides many activities for youngsters and despite the fact that some of the hobby groups have been closed this year, there are still enough for every person. Despite all of these good things there are some bad sides, too. I understand that youth should study, learn things and prepare for adult life, but I think that we also need to relax and spend time with

friends and I don’t know if there is any place for that. I don’t think that Jelgava is very friendly in that respect. We don’t have many cafes, a cinema or a youth club. There may be three clubs for 18 year-olds and more, but there are not any places to go if you are aged from 14 to 18. It would be great if there were some music clubs or places where teenagers could spend evenings.

Hello,

It is said that Jelgava is a student city, because of the university, but don’t forget that we also have more than 4 high schools and therefore, Mr. Ravins, I hope you will consider the problems I mentioned and try to solve them.

We propose to organize more concerts, where neighborhood groups can perform or enjoy performances, we would also need to access easily to areas of cultural centres, often without any activity, so that young people can practice and give performances. It is very difficult to find rehearsal facilities in the district and they are very expensive.

Dear Carmen, Now I live in San Blas, in the neighborhood of Simancas, Julian Camarillo Street. I’ve always known the neighborhood as it is now, although my parents have told me that before there were many more people addicted to drugs in the district.

The district has a lower budget each year to bring large groups to the neighborhood parties. That could be solved if we gave more say to the neighborhood youth in organizing the parties, because so far we are not participating in the organization. We would like to share our opinion and help organize activities done for us in the neighborhood. So far we do not have a role of possible organizers and are not considered as such.

I love the new bike path in the district. I also like the Paraiso Park and the surrounding street that is closed to car traffic on weekends, so we can go there by bike. Anyway, I think there are things in the district that could be changed, such as sports areas. Now you can only play in the sports centre (which is away from my home and is very expensive for me). I have always thought that it would be best to open public schools for the weekends or in summer in order to have soccer and basketball courts to play for free. I also like the fact that they are building new metro stations in the district ... but I don’t understand why some streets are closed for so long, or why they have cut many trees on the construction sites. I have also heard that they will close the night classes of secondary education institute Francisco de Quevedo. I hope there are night classes in other colleges nearby, but I would have to change the college and take over half an hour by public transport to go to class the next year.

Music is really important to young people and to our neighborhood. The District organizes fewer and fewer activities related to music, except for the neighborhood parties or organizes fewer performances in cultural centers. Young people miss more activities and music places for us.

We would also like to use the installation of Paraiso Park Auditorium for concerts more often. It is a very good place, huge, no neighbors nearby, that is fine. The District always says that we do not have baths, and you have to rent portable toilets, at very high costs. Why not open a public bathhouse in that auditorium? Finally I would like to know how to participate in the organization of festivals of the district. Whenever we call the District, they tell us that it is too late and that there is already a commission for this, but we do not know who participates in them. Regards,

Susana Palacios

Thank you very much for your attention, María Gutiérrez

Looking for a Job Is Already a Full-time Job (youth employment) Research findings: The analysis “Youth in the Municipality of Ajdovščina” shows that the majority of the youth demographic would like to get a job within the municipality, but one quarter of them thinks that it will not be possible for them to actually do so. Among the most common reasons for this are a lack of open positions in general and no positions that are suitable for their job profile.

The general findings of the analysis were also confirmed in a discussion during a youth public debate, where they focused on the topic in greater detail. The young people and the representatives of the Employment Office both stressed the following issues: - The number of registered unemployed has been increasing over the last two years. - The demand for open positions, which the municipality lacks, is growing; the demand for those that are available is close to nothing. - Educated young people looking for employment are moving to bigger and more developed cities, due to better employment possibilities. - Young people are increasingly faced with exploitation by their first employers, because they are not familiar with their rights or with their employers’ duties. - The retirement age is increasing and this leads to even greater shortage of open positions for young people. A few suggested measures: For the Municipality of Ajdovščina The municipality has to try its best ensure that educated young people are able to get suitable positions. The municipality should encourage new job openings for students of technical, humanities and sociological faculties, after they finish their studies (first employment). The municipality should issue a call for applications to find help financing new job openings (newly employed or self-employed). The municipality should promote scholarships and provide some itself. The municipality should speed up the development of business and development incubators.

CIPS – Center za informiranje in poklicno svetovanje (Information and Employment Consultation Center) offers answers to visitors’ questions and provides insight to sought-after professions and open positions. At CIPS, they teach users how to look for job openings and train them in job-seeking skills. E-consulting of the Employment office offers a broad spectrum of information on employment, available job positions at home and abroad, on ways of employment, qualifying for a job opening, filling out applications, how to approach employers and similar topics.

For employers Employers should consider young people’s experience, even if it is not acquired during a fulltime working relationship. Employers should make use of the potential that educated young people have. Employers should also provide suitable positions for elderly. For young people To stop employers from exploiting them, young people should read employment contracts with great care, which should be written in a clear manner and incorporate the employee’s, as well as that employer’s, duties.

Formal vs. Informal 3:1 (youth education)

Research findings: The young people’s public debate on youth education dealt with education as a whole. They and the director from People’s University of Ajdovščina came to following conclusions: - Informal education is still neglected, mostly because it is hard to prove its effectiveness. - Informal education’s reputation improving however, mostly due to recording of acquired knowledge in (for example) the Nefix – the informal index (like a report card). The acquired knowledge and competences, which young people gain through different events, are increasingly acknowledged by employers as well. - The acknowledgement of informal education by other schools and educational facilities presents a major issue, but it differs from teacher to teacher and professor to professor. - In young people’s lives, formal and informal education intertwine and both are equally important when combined. - Young people prefer studying outside their hometowns and later, upon finishing their studies, return home. - The University of Ajdovščina also presents an opportunity for the less fortunate to get a university education, since the costs of staying at home during their process of studying are much lower.

A few suggested measures: For the Municipality of Ajdovščina Due to the opening of a university in Ajdovščina, the municipality should encourage new student jobs within the municipality and social life for students, as well as provide beds for students coming from other places. The municipality should financially support organizations that offer informal education, especially youth organizations, classes, workshops, the PUM program, camps and other activities of interest. For schools and faculties Formal educational programs should start to work together with informal ones, which would result in cooperation between schools or faculties and youth organizations. Faculties especially should incorporate more practical work in their curriculums; such work should be provided with the help of the local economy. The university should offer university programs connected to the professions that are sought after in our region. For the young Young people should keep a detailed record of their informal knowledge; for example, with the help of the Nefix tool. Young people should actively participate in school organizations and fight for the right to participate in the process of making decisions connected to managing their school. 57

Spare Time Is Beautiful. Let Us Keep It that Way. (youth’s leisure activities) Research findings: The analysis “Youth in the Municipality of Ajdovščina 2009” dealt with the subject of youth people’s spare time. Results show that 66% of youth have enough free time, but as many as four fifths of young people speak about money as a problem when it comes to enjoying their spare time. These results impose a special responsibility to provide activities free of charge on organizations that offer spare-time activities, and the responsibility of the municipality to financially support these organizations. The young people talked about leisure activities during the youth debate with a professional from the field of working with youth and together they backed up results of the questionnaire: - Organized and quality spare time is of great importance for the young. - Spare time has many functions: (1) informal education, (2) peer socialization, (3) testing their role in society and knowledge about it and (4) strengthening of social competences. - The young people mostly spend their time with their friends or a partner if they have one; but prefer to spend it listening to music. The young people listed the following reasons for their participation in youth organizations: quality of spent free time, interacting with young people, human relations within organizations, good company, the possibility of enrolling in different

programs and activities, fun, interesting programs, the possibility of expressing their potential, education, outdoor sports, gaining experience, nurturing their interests etc. The most frequent answers were those showing how closely young people and youth organizations are connected (fun, fulfillment of their potential, benefits of a membership and – most of all – spending time with their peers). Some suggested measures: For the Municipality of Ajdovščina The municipality should finance regular and ongoing spare-time activities, and should also help to finance employees at clubs. The municipality should support the organization of major social and cultural activities and events. For youth organizations Youth organizations should perform their programs continuously, so that the young people will be able to adjust to them. They should actively work hand in hand with schools and keep young people informed about their youth programs. For schools and faculties Schools should provide a wider range of extracurricular activities, which should also be carried out in cooperation with youth organizations.

A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body (youth health)

Research findings: Sixteen young people and one psychiatrist from the Idrija psychiatric hospital were included in the youth public debate about young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health. The main finding of the debate was that youth peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical health is in a relatively good state, but there are many psychiatric disturbances. Young people suffering from such issues are treated for alcohol abuse, different depressions and phobias, which arise from the way we run and live our lives, which provides children and young people with abundance of material goods, but deprives them of emotional closeness. The environment in which we live in is full of many dangers: it is very easy to obtain many different illegal drugs and alcohol; internet addiction has appeared (addictions to different computer games and to gambling as well); many young people smoke regularly, fear of being fat is common, which leads to eating disorders resulting in bulimia and anorexia; there is also fear of being different and thus exposed and segregated from society. A few suggested measures: For health services Healthcare institutions should provide more information on mental illnesses, phobias, depressions and anxieties. The health service should in general invest more money into promoting a healthy way of life and prevention among youth.

For youth organizations Youth organizations should incorporate prevention measures and initiatives for a healthy life in their programs. For schools and faculties Schools should do more to nurture their studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well being, even though this would result in less work getting done. For society Society (families, friends, teachers, psychologists, social workers, private organizations helping drug addicts and alcoholics etc.) should provide immediate help for those young people who find themselves in desperate situations. For young people Young people should be brave and persistent when trying to solve their problems. They have to face their problems, not avoid them. Readers can find many measures on the local level in the Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life, which can be found at the end of the Slovene and English sections of this publication.

Functioning of the Municipal Administration and Municipal Council in Slovenia A municipality is a basic local community that autonomously deals with its own affairs according to legislation and executes certain legally adopted regulations in its own area. The municipality is composed of one or more settlements or villages, joined together by the common interests of its population. The municipality autonomously runs local affairs of public interest (so-called original assignments), which are assigned to it by a municipal law or statute. Municipal governing bodies Municipal council A municipal council establishes the municipality’s statute, ordinances and other general acts as well as regulations for the municipal council. Many other issues also fall under its jurisdiction, such as landuse planning and other planning, passing the municipal budget, forming bodies of the municipal board, supervision of work done by the mayor, the deputy mayor and the municipal board to ensure that decisions made by the municipal council are carried out. The municipal council also calls referendums, establishes public institutions and public companies and other public law officials according to the law, and makes decisions on other affairs appointed by the law. Mayor The mayor represents the entire municipality. Furthermore, he or she also presents the municipal council with budgets for them to pass, carries out the municipal budget, sees that municipal general acts and other decisions made by the municipal council are implemented, oversees the publication of the municipal statute, ordinances and other general acts, steers and controls work done by the municipal board and bodies of common municipal board and takes care of other affairs appointed to him or her by the law. Deputy mayors A municipality can have deputy mayors to help the mayor with his or her duties. A deputy mayor is appointed and relieved by the mayor; he or she first chooses a person from the municipal council. Deputy mayors help the mayor with his work and take care of certain assignments under the mayor’s jurisdiction, which are authorized by the mayor. A deputy mayor is deputized by the mayor in case he or she is absent or busy. During this time, a deputy mayor works on current assignments under the mayor’s jurisdiction and those assignments for

which a deputy mayor is authorized by the mayor in advance. How does the municipal council work? Each municipal council has its regulations, which precisely determine its functioning, but these regulations can vary from one municipality to another. The number of municipal council members depends on the size of the municipality. The municipal council meets at regular sittings, which are generally held once a month. Most of the time is spent to discuss current issues of the municipality. Municipal council sittings are called and led by the mayor, but he or she has no voting right. In most cases, he or she establishes a sitting’s agenda, but nevertheless, councilors also have an opportunity for their suggestions to make in on the agenda. The municipal council discusses and later votes on points of the agenda. For the decision to be passed, it has to be voted for by the majority of the people present; as for important decisions, the majority of the councilors or even two thirds of them has to vote in favor of the decision; examples of this include decisions concerning the budget, changes made to the municipal statute, appointing people to important positions and things of that nature. Especially with resolutions, which are discussed over multiple sessions, a councilor can show his or her ability for finding common ground for all of the different views presented by the councilor’s group, other politicians, the mayor, professional services and the interested public. The bulk of their work is done outside of the municipal council’s hall by trying to bridge opposing opinions by seeking support and by considering all possible solutions. The municipal council also organizes committees. These are smaller groups of councilors, who treat certain areas such as sport, agriculture, culture, traffic, social security etc. The municipal council’s committees in most municipalities include municipal councils as well as representatives of the public, different clubs, outsourced professionals and representatives of municipal professional services; all of them have the same right to vote, thus the voice of the public can be heard. These committees debate on possible solutions, suggestions to be discussed in the municipal council, how to bring together different views etc. Committees enable somewhat of a less severe debate and the possibility of arriving at better solutions.

How to Reach Political Decision Makers in Slovenia Young people can influence the decisions made by political decision makers in various ways, such as by expressing their own opinion, giving their own initiatives and achieving their own expectations. There is no perfect way to achieve successful cooperation between young people and decision makers. Cooperation depends on the situation in each local environment. In order to achieve a goal, it takes a long journey, hard work and the determination of young people, all of which lead to the final results such as efficient and honest dialogue between the young people and decision makers, political influence, respected opinions and accomplished goals. Young people will achieve their goals in their local communities provided they are well accustomed with the situation in the individual local environment, the opinions of decision makers and others, which can help them influence the decisions. The approach that would attract the attention of the political decision makers takes a well-prepared strategy and cooperation of as many young people as possible, which together brings the final results that the decision makers take into consideration. Decision makers need to be approached with current propositions and solutions in which they will be able to recognize the added value and the usefulness for the broader public, perhaps even for the whole local community, and not only those young people who strive for the achievement of a particular goal. Those who work with the propositions have to take into account the interest of as large a public as possible, shape long-term and economic solutions and propose measures that will serve to the future generations. The goal will most definitely be achieved, provided there is a well-structured idea and the strategy. In Slovenian communities, there are several supporting structures for dialogue between young people and local communities that those making propositions can include in their own strategies. These need to be representative (they need to include the young people) and permanent. They need to deal with all the matters that young people have an interest. Examples of such structures are: − Youth boards of the local communities − Youth questions committees − Departments for youth − Departments for the social activities

The youth council of the local community is established with the joining of the active forms of the youth organisations in the community. Its task is to represent the interests of the young people in the community. The youth boards of local communities are the supporters of the youth work and the youth politics on the local level, and they represent the basis for the participation of young people in local communities. The youth boards of the local communities represent the interests of the young at the local (municipal) authorities and with them they mostly reach agreements about the activities, means and infrastructure meant to be used by young people. Similarly, they have (according to law) the right (and moral duty) to give opinions about all the matters that are dealt with at the municipal bodies that concern young people. With their action, they motivate the youth organisations, keep their membership and the broader public informed of the politics of the local community, mostly on the fields that concern young people. The youth questions committee is appointed by the mayor as his own advisory body for researching individual matters under his jurisdiction. The committee passes the decision, provides opinions and initiatives to the mayor. The department for youth of the communal board deals with matters from the jurisdiction of the communal board and gives to the communal board opinions and propositions. The committee can propose the acceptance of the acts or other documents from its jurisdiction to the communal board. There are none in Slovenia; their jobs are performed by the social activities committee. All the above-listed structures are not the only options possible through which young people can express their wishes. They can turn directly to the mayors, communal advisors or communal administration offices. They all will most certainly find time and listen with pleasure to quality ideas.

How to Reach Political Decision Makers in Latvia Steps to speak out to the Council in Latvia If you want to express your concerns, you can address them to The National Youth Council of Latvia. It is located in the capital city. You can also contact one of the many member organizations that cover all regions of Latvia and then they will advise you what to do if the problem is local or national. The main mission of The National Youth Council of Latvia is to improve the living conditions of young people and to represent the interests of youth organizations on the national and international level. It is also involved in the socio-political processes in order to ensure respect for youth. The National Youth Council has 5 main areas of operation − advocacy, − foreign affairs and development cooperation, − information and recognition of youth organizations, − LJP development and cooperation, − orming of new organizations. Web page http://www.ljp.lv/ On the web page you can find out how to contact The National Youth Council and all its member organizations.

Meetings of Participants of the Say It Out Loud! Project The First Meeting of Participants of the Say It Out Loud! Project Kovk, from 22nd to 27th of April 2009 The first meeting of the participants of the Say it out loud! project was held in Slovenia, in a small settlement of Kovk on the plateau above Ajdovščina called Gora at the end of April in 2009. The meeting was attended by five participants from Madrid, five from the city of Jelgava (Lithuania) and ten from the city of Ajdovščina (Slovenia). The first meeting was intended mostly for an exchange of information about the way young people live, about their needs and wishes and to compare the status of youth in three different environments. At the beginning of our first youth meeting, we analyzed and compared the results of questionnaires, which were filled out by young people who were fifteen to thirty years old and were coming from three different local environments. In the questionnaire, we asked them how they spend and plan their spare time, how much knowledge do they have about youth organizations that are active in their local environment, how do they participate in their local community, and what were their needs and wishes. With the analysis of their answers, we noticed a lot of similarities between the young from different local environments connected with their participation in their local community and their wishes and needs. We have also found some differences connected mostly with the size of the urban environment where individual young people live and the range of activities offered by the youth organizations that are active there. On the basis of discovered similarities and differences and on the basis of comparing opinions expressed by the young during different public debates, which were also held in all of these three countries, we suggested some solutions for young people and discussed the measures needed for a greater involvement of the young in their local environment. At this meeting, we looked at the already existing examples of good practices, which were also used for comparison with other instances of good practices we saw during next meetings in Spain and Lithuania. We visited the Youth Centre Hiša Mladih (Young People’s House) in Ajdovščina and the Youth Centre Podlaga in Sežana. We talked about the work performed by different forms of youth structures, which are active in individual environments and provide the young with an array of activities for spending their free time, and compared them amongst themselves. 63

The Second Meeting of Participants of the Say It Out Loud! Project

The Third Meeting of Participants of the Say It Out Loud! Project

Lithuania, from 15th to 20th of August in 2009

Madrid, from 15th to 20th of October in 2009

The second meeting of participants of the Say it out loud! project was held at the end of August in the city of Jeglava (Lithuania). The meeting was attended by five participants from Slovenia, five from Spain and ten from Lithuania. The purpose of the meeting in Lithuania was to establish a website of the project and to collect suggestions for the design and content of the publication before you. During the meeting we also discussed the organizing of youth in individual states and discovering similarities and differences between them.

The third meeting of participants of the Say it out loud! project was held in Madrid in Spain during the last days of October in 2009. The meeting was attended by five participants from Slovenia, five from Lithuania and ten from Spain. The purpose of the meeting was to present and see how youth work is organized in Spain, how youth organizations work and to finalize the content of our website and the publication before you.

First, members of the meeting defined and prepared some of the content for the website and for the publication. We collected texts and photographs taken during activities already performed along the course of the project, and posted them on our project’s website. The debate later took a different turn – we talked about youth work and youth organizations in individual local communities where organizations, our project partners, are at work. We have uncovered many similarities – the way of functioning and goals of the individual youth organizations – and some differences as well, mostly how they cooperate with municipal authorities and differences concerning the size of individual local communities and how in tune are individual local communities with their young population. During the meeting in Lithuania, we had a look at an example of a good practice, a youth center called Junda, which has been working successfully for many years and provides a place, where young inhabitants of Jeglava, especially those in primary and high school, can spend time together and make an active use of their spare time. We also visited offices of the municipality of Jeglava, where we were kindly accepted by their deputy mayor, who spoke about his views on the necessity of youth organizations, how they should exist and function within a municipality. He also shared some words on cooperation and a dialog between the municipality authorities and youth. We got a visit from the young winners of the literary competition called My letter to the Mayor as well, and we discussed their needs and wishes, which were also expressed in their letters to the mayor.

During our last meeting of the Say it out loud! project, we looked at a Spanish example of good practice in Madrid, their regional centre for the young “Europa Joven San Blas” in the Madrid’s district San blas, where the leading political representative of the San blas district visited us. We also took part in the Equal Opportunity and Equality Day, a mixture of different workshops and other activities prepared by the young for the young and other inhabitants of the San blas district, which concluded with an afternoon concert by local music groups. During our last meeting, we studied forms of youth organizations and youth work in Spain, which we then compared to those in Slovenia and Lithuania. We found quite a vast number of similarities among the organizations in Spain and Lithuania as well as in Slovenia. They all have the same goals and desires – to provide a place for the young to explore their possibility to express their opinion and shape their personalities. There are also some minor differences in connection to how the individual organizations work and concerning cooperation between them and representatives of local authorities, interests of individual local communities, possibilities to influence decisions made by local decision-makers and also concerning the size and organization of communities the young live and work within. The majority of the meeting was devoted to designing the content and choosing the photographs for the publication before you, and finally, to establishing and updating the website with the material acquired during the project.

Example of Good Practice – Young People’s House Ajdovščina The Young People’s House is much more than a space between four walls, where various youth organizations and associations operate. The organizations that operate in this building form a symbiotic society that has grown immensely, following the interests of the individuals and groups, and has developed into one of the most varied environments of its kind in Slovenia. It is always referred to as a case of good practice and serves as an example to other similar organizations in Slovenia. These are the youth organizations and organizations for young people that are currently active in the building: − Ajdovščina Students’ and Pupils’ Club; − Youth Centre-Young People’s House, Ajdovščina; − Youth Council of Ajdovščina; − Jutro Association of the Young; − Scout Association Rod mladi bori Ajdovščina; − Programme Project Learning for Younger Adults (PUM) and − some other minor associations and informal (mostly music) groups. Due to the previous diverse and sometimes distant locations of the youth organizations in Ajdovščina, the joining under the same roof in 2004 was definitely a great move forward. The Young People’s House first united most of the youth organizations and other associations in Ajdovščina under one roof, where they arranged their own spaces. Later, the

house started to become a place for all the young people and children of the broader Ajdovščina area. Operations under one roof have grown into cooperation and positively influenced the organizations and the young people and – in this way – aided the connection of organizations and young people of all walks of life. It also offered an opportunity to those young people who were deprived of opportunities to enrol in the programmes held by the church organization Karitas, the People’s University of Ajdovščina (with its programme Project Learning for Younger Adults) and the Youth Centre. The Young People’s House is opened daily for the Youth Centre programme users. Young people gather and hang out in the surroundings of the Young People’s House, while in the building several activities take place, which are attended in people’s free time. The Young People’s House covers but also develops various fields of interest for young people, tries to solve their problems, but most importantly, it offers them a space where they can express themselves, develop their personalities, promote their interests and in this way make good use of their spare time.

The Young People’s House is a springboard for young people who want to experience life; it gives them orientation for choosing a career, promotes their personal development and growth and the development of their artistic selves. It directs the young into the fertile activities and active participation. The employment rate and personal qualities of its users grows through their activities in the house and its surroundings. In recent years, this building has become the centre of events for young people, a safe place where they can seek shelter and where they can be creative. In cooperation with other forms of integration, the house also performs various actions in the local community that are related to the youth field. This includes active participation of young people, mostly on the local level, and of those with fewer opportunities. The active citizenship of young people is shown through the work of the Young People’s House, since we participate in almost all socially important actions in the local and other communities. Initiatives and socially useful discussions take place in the House on a regular basis. As a result of years of the individuals’ endeavours in working with youth organizations and associations, the Young People’s House has become the main

youth activity centre in the city – a gathering centre for various youth generations. A wide range of activities is offered to people from the elementary school age up to those in their late twenties. It offers a feeling of belonging by becoming a place that young people in Ajdovščina can identify with and be proud of. The association of youth organizations under one roof brings a unity of youth performance to the local community and political decision makers. In this way, it empowers young people, builds up their influence and puts young people at the centre of attention. Society acknowledges them as being important, as being a group of people worth investing in and – as such – worth the effort, but also listens to them and considers their views and opinions. The city of Ajdovščina together with the Young People’s House that has been created and shaped by the young themselves help to show the city’s soul and its usefulness to young people and everyone else.

Example of Good Practice – Children and Youth Centre Junda Children and Youth Centre “Junda”, which is located in Jelgava, is a fantastic place for any child or young person who wants to join any of the activities (circles) that are available in this center, and the offer is very colorful: several dance circles, language clubs, handcraft, and many, many other things. We can start with dancing. There are 9 different dance circles here: aerobics, salsa, classical dance, a dance studio “Benefice”, Linedances, break and dances for smaller children, too. All dance classes are run by fantastic teachers. In “Junda” there are two pop groups “Smaids” and “Lai skan”, Violin Ensemble, a traditional music group, a bell ensemble and guitars. Girls can take the opportunity to learn to sew, knit, do crochet, and learn many other things girls need to know, while boys can join and participate in “Boy Club” and “Tracks var modelism”. Children and young people also have a chance to join ceramics classes, a glass workshop, leather, plastics and wood workshop, a textile studio, a floristic and art studio, they can learn to work with computer and take part

in a model school. In “Junda” children can also learn languages: Latvian and English. Junda also offers small children an opportunity to join in. They have special lessons and dance, as well as fingerjobs and gymnastic. “Junda” is also involved in the work with children with special needs. These children actively participate in various circles and events. The teachers and staff involved are really great and have good skills needed for their jobs and the activities they carry out. Every year “Junda” holds a lot of concerts, organized by different circles - dance groups, pop groups and ensembles. In autumn and spring holidays children have the opportunity to participate in a holiday camp in “Lediņi” where they join various activities and tasks. In summer, they are also given the opportunity to go to the camp and many children do so. The camp is attended by about a hundred children every day in summer.

Project Partners The Youth Council of Ajdovščina The Youth Council of Ajdovščina (YCA) is an organized association of youth clubs and organizations on the level of the Municipality of Ajdovščina that work among young people with different social, ideological and political orientations. The union of youth organizations into the Youth Council of Ajdovščina is based on the principles of the freedom to assembly, equality and mutual respect for autonomy of each organization, and each member of YCA. In its efforts and activities, the Youth Council of Ajdovščina draws from the autonomy of the young people and their incorporation into free and democratic society. It strives to strengthen the role of young people in social events, to encourage their activities and to result in a strengthened free and democratic community.

pment, - to encourage public dialogue concerning social questions, - to support the activities of YCA members in youth centres, - to perform activities in the field of education, social policy for children and youth, spare time activities, culture, informing, international collaboration and research, - to reduce the number of youth with intellectual potential leaving the Municipality of Ajdovščina and - to provide equal conditions that enable youth in the Municipality of Ajdovščina to thrive.

The purpose of YCA is to contribute to the creation of an environment that enables young people to actively participate in the society. We especially want for young people to be more: - autonomous, capable of making decisions and steering their lives, - sympathetic, active when it comes to taking care of themselves and others - responsible, capable of accepting consequences of their decisions and - persisting in efforts to live according to our principles and values, as individuals as well as members of society. Aims of YCA: - to bring together the different interests of the members working together and to introduce them to others, - to stimulate a mutual understanding, an exchange of experiences and the willingness for the youth organizations to work together, - to be the consultative body for all of the questions concerning young people and their organizations and to have an influence on youth politics in the town of Ajdovščina and its surrounding areas, - to encourage the development of youth organizations as young people’s instrument in society and active participation of young people in public life, - to encourage and develop collaboration between the association and its members with familiar organizations at home and worldwide, - to take an active part in lasting social develo-

The Municipality of Ajdovščina The municipality… The municipality of Ajdovščina is an economic and cultural centre of the Vipava Valley, which lies in the west part of Slovenia, near the national border with Italy. The municipality consists of 26 Local Communities and 45 settlements. The centre of the municipality is a town called Ajdovščina with a population of approximately 7000 people. The town prides itself on exceptionally rich and turbulent history. Especially due to an interesting combination of the first roman structures and construction done in later medieval era, the town offers numerous attention grabbing sights to its visitors. Social life in the municipality of Ajdovščina is rich in all of its aspects. It is taken care of by the renowned cultural institutions: the Veno Pilon Gallery, the Karel Lavrič Library, the Museum Collection, Association of Cultural Societies, which unites all of the societies and individuals, engaged in cultural activities in Ajdovščina. It includes many excellent choirs as well as other well organized

sports facilities: Police Sports Centre and outdoor swimming pool Police, Pale Sport Park with a well maintained tennis court, basketball and boule court and a playground, then Aero Club Josip Križaj, which manages the Ajdovščina Airport, Sports Association Ajdovščina, which includes many local sport clubs as well as the Mountaineering club; the later maintains mountain paths and organizes different hikes. Youth organizations, which take care of the activities for the youth, are joined together under theYouth Council of Ajdovščina. and the Municipality… The Municipality of Ajdovščina is the basic self-governing local community of inhabitants of settlements, which are connected through common needs and interests. It is a legal entity, which within the framework of the constitution and laws autonomously manages and takes care of local affairs of public importance. Besides local affairs from the original competence, the Municipality can perform specific assignments, which the country assigned to it by a law with the Municipality’s prior consent. Within the original competence, the Municipality provides the conditions needed for the municipality’s economic development in line with space and ecology issues, provides conditions for cultural and an all-around development of its people, their social and other safety, and for the realization of rights concerning direct and indirect decisions on local self-government.

Kovarnis Kovarnis is a youth organisation in Jelgava that makes the life of youngsters of Jelgava more interesting and fun. Kovarnis has organised several events in all seasons, for all people, for all interests. It is a very active organisation with active and creative members. It takes parts in several projects between several European countries and it has made friends with many organisations in many European countries.

Junda Junda is a youth centre where children and teenagers can develop their skills in many spheres – singing, dancing, artistic spheres etc. It is a great way for children and youngsters to spend their free time after school. Junda is a place where they can come and enjoy their free time doing something active and fun, instead of sitting at home. With the help of Junda, children can become creative and active people.

Coordinadora Infantil y Juvenil de Tiempo Libre de Vallecas Coordinadora Infantil y Juvenil de Tiempo Libre de Vallecas is a non-profit and independent umbrella organization, consisting of different social entities that carry out their work with children and youth in the neighborhood of Vallecas.

Centro Europa Joven de San Blas Centro Europa Joven de San Blas is a resource center that puts Europe and its opportunities at disposal of young people in Madrid. The place is designed for them. It has a schedule and rules directed to the youngest public. Besides, our project is based on the methodology of â&#x20AC;&#x153;active proximityâ&#x20AC;? and we receive and orient who may come to our centre. We also go out to the street, to universities, to youth organisations in order to show young people what Europe can offer them. We are able to do so due to participative methodologies. Centro Europa Joven provides information and assessment in the following topics: - Stagers and Scholarships - Education (Schools, High schools, Universities) - Work, job seeking - Travelling in Europe - Languages learning - Europe/European Institutions - Support of Youth Organisations - European Voluntary service - Youth Exchanges - Training courses and Seminars - Youth Initiatives - Short Term Voluntary Service (Disadvantaged Young People) - Search of partners for European Projects

Youth in Action Programme Youth in Action is the EU Programme for young people aged 15-28 (in some cases 13-30). It aims to inspire a sense of active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping the Union’s future. Youth in Action is a programme for all! It promotes mobility within and beyond the EU borders, nonformal learning and intercultural dialogue, and encourages the inclusion of all young people, regardless of their educational, social and cultural background. With a total budget of 885 million euros for seven years (2007-2013), the Programme supports a large variety of activities for young people and youth workers through five actions. Action 1 – Youth for Europe encourages young people’s active citizenship, participation and creativity through youth exchanges, youth initiatives and youth democracy projects. Youth Democracy Projects aim at boosting young people’s involvement in the democratic process at local, regional and European level. The objective is to provide young people with ideas about and experiences of democracy, to spark new national and transnational networks and exchanges of good practice. Youth Democracy Projects improve young people’s understanding of how democracy works, helping them to make the most of their right to participate in the decision-making structures of a democratic society.

Among other things, projects could aim at developing actions to support a structured dialogue between decision-makers and young people. Aimed at 13 to 30 year olds, Youth Democracy Projects should focus on such themes as European citizenship, active participation, cultural diversity, social inclusion, the future of Europe or other priorities identified in the field of European cooperation in the youth field. Action 2 – European Voluntary Service helps young people to develop their sense of solidarity by participating, either individually or in group, in non-profit, unpaid voluntary activities abroad. Action 3 – Youth in the World promotes partnerships and exchanges among young people and youth organisations across the world. Action 4 – Youth Support Systems includes various measures to support youth workers and youth organisations and improve the quality of their activities. Action 5 – Support for European Co-operation in the Youth field supports youth policy co-operation at European level, in particular by facilitating dialogue between young people and policy makers. Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm

Appendix: Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life (Charter without the status of a convention) Adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (10th session – 21 May 2003 – Appendix to the Recommendation 128) Introduction The foundation for what was to become the revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life was laid at the first and second conference on youth policies, organised by the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, in Lausanne (June 1988) and in Llangollen (September 1991) respectively. Soon after, in March 1992, the Standing Conference adopted Resolution 237 and Article 22 thereof on the adoption of the Charter. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, in partnership with the Council of Europe’s Directorate for Youth and Sport, organised a conference entitled “Young People – Actors in their Towns and Regions”. The general purpose of the conference held in Krakow on 7 and 8 March 2002 was to evaluate the progress made in the field of youth participation during the Charter’s ten years of existence, while discussing ways of further promoting youth participation, amongst others by disseminating good practices. The participants at the conference adopted the Krakow Declaration in which they reaffirm that young people are citizens in the municipalities and regions where they live, in the same way as any other age group, and must therefore have access to all forms of participation in society and that reaffirming and promoting the role of young people in the development of a democratic society, in particular in local and regional public life, was endorsed and re-established. Moreover, the conference constituted a contribution to the Council of Europe Integrated Project “Making Democratic Institutions Work”. The participants furthermore called for a response to new challenges faced by young people in contemporary society. Consequently they requested the CLRAE and the Advisory Council on Youth Questions of the Council of Europe to appoint experts to prepare proposals for amending the European Charter on the Participation of Young

People in Local and Regional Life in order also to make it respond to new challenges of the twentyfirst century such as the information society and urban insecurity. The working meetings were convened at the end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003. The deliberations of these working meetings provide the basis of the present version of the Charter. This version of the Charter is divided into three sections. The first provides local and regional authorities with guidelines for how to conduct policies affecting young people in a number of areas. The second part provides the tools for furthering the participation of young people. Finally, the third section provides advice on how to provide institutional conditions for participation of young people. Preamble The active participation of young people in decisions and actions at local and regional level is essential if we are to build more democratic, inclusive and prosperous societies. Participation in the democratic life of any community is about more than voting or standing for election, although these are important elements. Participation and active citizenship is about having the right, the means, the space and the opportunity and where necessary the support to participate in and influence decisions and engage in actions and activities so as to contribute to building a better society. Local and regional authorities, as the authorities closest to the young person, have a very important role to play in promoting youth participation. In doing so, local and regional authorities can ensure that young people not only hear and learn about democracy and citizenship, but rather have the opportunity to practice it. However, youth participation is not solely about developing active citizens or building democracy for the future. It is vital, if participation is to be meaningful for young people, that they can influence and shape decisions and actions when they are young and not only at some later stage in life.

When local and regional authorities support and promote youth participation they also contribute to the social integration of young people, helping them to deal not only with the challenges and pressures of youth, but also with the challenges of a modern society where anonymity and individualism are often predominant. However, for youth participation in local and regional life to be successful, lasting and meaningful requires more than the development or restructuring of political or administrative systems. Any policy or action designed to promote youth participation must ensure that the cultural environment is one of respect for young people and must also take into account the diverse needs, circumstances and aspirations of young people. And it must involve some element of fun and enjoyment. Principles 1. The participation of young people in local and regional life must constitute part of a global policy of citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; participation in public life, as set out in Recommendation Rec (2001) 19 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the participation of citizens in local public life. 2. Local and regional authorities are convinced that all sectoral policies should have a youth dimension. They therefore undertake to comply with the provisions of this charter and to implement the various forms of participation, which follow in consultation and co-operation with young people and their representatives.

social cohesion in the municipality or region; these are an ideal channel for youth participation and the implementation of youth policies in the fields of sport, culture, crafts and trades, artistic and other forms of creation and expression, as well as in the field of social action. 5. In order to develop the local and regional youth association sector, local and regional authorities should through appropriate measures lend their support, in particular to organisations which train facilitators and leaders of youth clubs and organisations, as well as youth workers, who play a vital part in life at local and regional level. 6. Local and regional authorities should encourage associations to promote the active participation of young people in their statutory bodies. I.2 A policy to promote youth employment and combat unemployment 7. The economic and social conditions that young people experience impact upon their willingness and ability to participate in their local community. When young people are unemployed or living in poverty they are less likely to have the desire, resources and social support to be active citizens in local and regional life. Young people who are unemployed are likely to be among the most excluded in society and therefore local and regional authorities should develop policies and promote initiatives to reduce youth unemployment.

3. The principles and various forms of participation advocated in this charter apply to all young people without discrimination. In order to achieve this, special attention should be paid to promoting the participation in local and regional life of young people from disadvantaged sectors of society and from ethnic, national, social, sexual, cultural, religious and linguistic minorities. Part I: Sectoral policies I.1 A policy for sport, leisure and associative life 4. Local and regional authorities should support organised socio-cultural activities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; run by youth associations and organisations, youth groups and community centres â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which, together with the family and school or work, are one of the pillars of 73

8. Therefore, local and regional authorities should: i. develop polices and programmes in concertation with young people (including those who are unemployed or at risk of being unemployed), local employers, trade unions, education, training and employment authorities and youth organisations to address the causes of youth unemployment and promote employment opportunities for young people; ii. establish local employment centres to provide specialist help and support to young unemployed people in finding meaningful and stable work. Young unemployed people should have the right to be involved in the management of these centres if they so wish; iii. support the establishment of businesses, enterprises and co-operatives by young people or groups of young people by providing funding and other support such as premises, equipment, training and professional advice; iv. encourage experimentation by young people with the social economy, community self-help initiatives or co-operatives. I.3 Urban environment and habitat, housing policy, and transport 9. Together with representatives of youth organisations, local and regional authorities should create conditions for developing an urban environment policy based on a more integrated, less fragmented living environment which is conducive to social interaction and the development of high-quality public spaces. 10. Local and regional authorities should pursue housing and urban environment policies which closely involve young people in consultation arrangements bringing together locally or regionally elected representatives, economic decision makers, leaders of associations and architects. Their aim is: i. to draw up programmes for a more harmonious environment conducive to personal self fulfilment and the development of real solidarity between the generations;

ii. to develop a concerted policy on the urban environment that takes account of residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; social and intercultural realities in the drawing up of housing and/or housing renovation programmes. 11. In close co-operation with youth organisations, tenantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; organisations and/or consumer organisations, social housing agencies and social workers, local and regional authorities should promote the development of, or develop within existing social structures: i. local information services on housing for young people; ii. local schemes (e.g. low-cost loans, rent guarantee systems) to help young people gain access to housing. 12. The mobility of young people is made possible through easy access to public transport, of which they are the main users. This mobility is indispensable for participation in social life and for being full citizens. 13. Young people should therefore be involved in the organisation of public transport, at both local and regional level. Specially adapted rates should allow the most disadvantaged young people to travel. 14. In rural areas, mobility and transport are a fundamental necessity for quality of life and not just necessary to facilitate participation. Therefore, local and regional authorities should support rural transport initiatives that seek to provide transport services (public or private, individual or collective) and increase mobility in rural areas for groups such as young people who are currently excluded due to lack of means of transport. I.4 An education and training policy promoting youth participation 15. School is an institution in which young people not only spend a considerable proportion of their lives and where they undertake a formal educational programme; it is also a place where many of their views and perspectives on life are shaped. It is essential that young people learn about participation and democracy while in school and that courses on democracy, participation and citizenship are available and properly resourced. However school

must also be a place where young people experience democracy in action and where their participation in decision-making is supported, promoted and is seen as effective. Therefore: i. local and regional authorities should actively encourage the participation of young people in school life. They should provide financial and other supports such as meeting facilities to enable young people to establish democratic school student associations. These associations should be independent and self-governing, and if they want to, they should have the right to participate in decisions concerning the management of the school in partnership with the teachers and school authorities. ii. where local and regional authorities are responsible for school curricula, they should ensure that students and student associations are consulted on an ongoing basis concerning curricula and their development. They should also ensure that civic and political education is incorporated into school curricula and given the necessary prominence and resources in the educational programme of all students. I.5 A policy for mobility and exchanges 16. Local and regional authorities should support those associations or groups which favour the mobility of young people (young workers, students, or volunteers) through exchange policies, and develop networking policies and an awareness of European citizenship. 17. Local and regional authorities should encourage young people, their organisations and their schools to participate actively in international twinning activities, all types of exchanges, and European networks. These authorities should be ready to give them financial support, in order to promote language learning and intercultural exchanges, as well as exchanges of experience. 18. They should include young people and/or their representatives in the twinning committees and other organs responsible for implementing these exchanges.

I.6 A health policy 19. With a view to promoting the emergence and implementation of projects that originate from young people and promote both the development of the concept of all-round health and the dynamics of community life, local and regional authorities should create or develop institutional machinery for consultation between youth organisations, elected representatives and all social and professional groups concerned with social welfare and the promotion of health. 20. Faced with the ravages of tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse among young people, local and regional authorities should introduce, develop or promote, together with representatives of youth organisations and of health services, local information policies and counselling facilities for young people affected by these problems, as well as special training policies for young social workers and for voluntary workers and leaders of organisations operating prevention and rehabilitation strategies for the young people concerned. 21. In view of the current increase in sexually transmitted diseases, local and regional authorities should intensify information campaigns and preventive measures aimed at young people, thus promoting within the community a spirit of solidarity engendering social relationships in which moral judgments and segregation have no place. Young people and the representatives of local youth organisations and of health services should be closely involved in the design and implementation of these information and action programmes. I.7 A gender equality policy 22. As part of their policies to create optimum conditions for equal participation by women and men in local and regional affairs, local and regional authorities should take affirmative action in support of the access of young men and women to positions of responsibility within professional life, associations, politics and local and regional authorities. 23. Within the limits of their powers, local and regional authorities should promote, from early childhood onwards, an educational policy of equality between women and men.

24. To promote a policy of equality between women and men, local and regional authorities should: i. draw up a medium-term plan with the aim of eliminating inequalities between young men and young women; ii. Implement and evaluate measures which promote equal opportunities for girls and young women. 25. In order to achieve this aim, these policies should in particular enable girls and young women: i. to receive specific information on training courses leading to professional qualifications; ii. to learn occupational skills by offering grants and specific courses of study in professions including those which have traditionally been filled by men; iii. to train them in the running of public affairs by entrusting them with responsibilities at the highest level, on the basis of a quota of places reserved for women; iv. to introduce financial measures for social services which assist girls and young women. I.8 A specific policy for rural regions 26. Local and regional authorities need to take into account the different needs of young people in rural areas when developing or establishing actions and activities to promote youth participation. Therefore, they should: i. ensure that educational, employment, housing, transport and other sectoral policies reflect and address the special needs of young people living in rural areas. These policies should help young people who want to live in rural areas to do so. Young people living in rural areas should not have to endure or expect a lower level of social services and provision than those living in urban areas; ii. provide financial and other support to youth organisations and other community organisations active in rural areas. These organisations can stimulate social and cultural life in rural communities and can be an important social outlet for young people. Youth and other community organisations

not only play an important role in encouraging youth participation; they can also enhance the quality of life and combat problems such as rural isolation. I.9 A policy on access to culture 27. Art and culture exist in forms that are both multiple and constantly changing, according to tastes, places and period. They are, however, part of the past, present and future personal and collective heritage, to which successive generations contribute. They are, in a way, the reflection of each society. Young people, through their practice of culture and their capacity for initiative, exploration and innovation, build and play a role in these cultural developments. It is therefore important to allow them access to culture in all its forms and to promote their possibilities for creative activity including in new fields. 28. Local and regional authorities should therefore adopt, in association with young people and their organisations, policies designed to allow them to become cultural actors, with access to knowledge, the practice of culture and creative activity in places and using methods designed for that purpose. I.10 A policy for sustainable development and for the environment 29. Faced with an increasingly obvious deterioration of the environment, local and regional authorities should give financial support to educational projects in schools and associations, in order to raise awareness of environmental problems. 30. Aware that environmental problems are of primary concern to the young people who will be obliged in the future to cope with the consequences of past mistakes, local and regional authorities should support activities and projects which promote sustainable development and environmental protection and which involve young people and their organisations.

I.11 A policy to combat violence and crime 31. Bearing in mind that the victims of crime and violence are often young people, and recognising the necessity of finding adequate responses to the crime and violence in contemporary society, as well as the need to involve young people directly in combating these problems; 32. Local and regional authorities should: i. include young people in crime prevention councils, where these exist; ii. work in particular with young people who risk being involved in crime or who have already been involved in crime; iii. ble;

combat racist violence by all means availa-

iv. tackle all forms of violence in schools. This should be done in co-operation with all relevant actors, such as educational and police authorities, teachers, parents and young people themselves; v. contribute to the creation of networks of associations and projects promoting non-violence projects and tolerance both in school and out of school; vi. do their utmost to protect young people from sexual exploitation, abuse or other forms of maltreatment and provide structures that provide psychological and material support and confidential consultation to victims. 33. In implementing the above, local and regional authorities contribute towards building a climate of trust and respect between young people and public authorities such as the police. I.12 An anti-discrimination policy 34. Local and regional authorities should actively promote human rights and measures to counter discrimination against minorities (including their young members) or against young people with disabilities and other population groups that may suffer discrimination, and should promote the development of multicultural communities through the integration of minorities, taking account of their diverse needs and customs, cultures and lifestyles.

35. In this connection, local and regional authorities should: i. pass or reinforce anti-discrimination legislation so as to ensure equal access for all citizens to public places, to vocational training, to schooling, to housing, to cultural activities and to other areas of life. Such access should be monitored and guaranteed by joint bodies comprising local government representatives and representatives of minorities and young people themselves; ii. foster inter-religious dialogue, multicultural, anti-racist education and education against discrimination as part of the school curriculum. I.13 A policy on sexuality 36. During their transition from childhood dependence on family, school, religious community or other â&#x20AC;&#x153;authoritiesâ&#x20AC;? towards an autonomous adult life, young people may be faced with a variety of questions on issues connected to their personal relationships (within the family or close circle, with their peers, with their friend or partner). The emergence and exercise of their sexuality is not always easy, even if they are not ready to admit it. In addition, there is a persistent ignorance surrounding issues of sexual health and mistrust towards official attitudes concerning the risks of certain sexual behaviours. 37. In order to help young people find their way in this area towards a healthy and fulfilling affective life, local and regional authorities, in association with parents, schools and organisations specialised in this field, should promote and support: i.

non-directive sex education in schools;

ii. organisations and services offering information about relationships, sexual methods and family planning; iii.

peer group work in this field.

38. Young people should be actively associated with the planning, implementation and evaluation of information and other services aimed at young people in this field.

I.14 A policy of access to rights and law 39. In order to live together, societies are based on rules which must be respected by all. In democratic societies, these rules are discussed and adopted by the citizens’ elected representatives and given concrete expression, particularly in legislative texts which bestow rights and obligations upon all persons. 40. As these texts increase in number, it is more and more difficult for the individual to know, respect and apply them, thus creating disparities between citizens. Young people are the most naturally concerned by this phenomenon. 41. Local and regional authorities should therefore facilitate young people’s access to their rights: i. by developing their knowledge through the dissemination of information, particularly in schools, peer groups and information services; ii. by the application of their rights through the support of services designed to work alongside young people who desire this; iii. by allowing young people to participate in the drawing-up of new rules. Part II: Instruments for youth participation 42. In order to achieve real youth participation a certain number of instruments need to be placed at young people’s disposal. This entails developing participation training for young people, keeping them informed, providing them with means of communication, supporting their projects, and recognising and giving a higher profile to young people’s dedication to community causes and voluntary work. Participation only takes on full meaning where young people’s role in political parties, trade unions and associations is acknowledged and, above all, where an effort is made to promote youth associations set up with and by young people themselves. II.1 Training in youth participation 43. Local and regional authorities, conscious of the dominant role that the school plays in the life of young people, should provide, in the school environment, support and training in youth participation,

human rights education and non-formal learning in schools. They should also provide training and support for the participation of young people in associative life and in their local community by promoting: i. vocational training for teachers and youth workers in the practice of youth participation; ii. all forms of participation of pupils in schools; iii.

civic education programmes in schools;

iv. peer-group education, by providing the necessary space and means and by supporting the exchange of good practice. II.2 Informing young people 44. Information is often a key to participation, and the right of young people to have access to information about opportunities and matters which concern them is increasingly recognised in official European and international documents,1 and not only in the context of local and regional life. 45. In order to participate in activities and in the life of their community, or to benefit from services and opportunities aimed at them, young people need to know about them. Participating in activities and projects of interest to them and which they organise themselves is often a step in a process encouraging their deeper involvement in the community, including its political life. 46. Local and regional authorities should therefore support and improve existing information and counselling centres for young people, in order to ensure that they provide services of quality that meet the needs expressed by young people. Where such centres do not exist, local and regional authorities and other relevant actors should promote and assist the creation of adequate information services for young people, inter alia, through existing structures such as schools, youth service and libraries. Specific measures should be taken to meet the information needs of groups of young people who have difficulty in accessing information (language barriers, no access to the Internet, etc.).

47. Information services for young people must conform to certain professional principles and standards.2 Public authorities are encouraged to guarantee such standards and to promote their continual improvement, where possible in accordance with a set of nationally (or regionally) agreed quality measures and standards. Young people should have the possibility to participate in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the activities and products of youth information centres/services and be represented in their governing bodies.

II.5 Encouraging young people to undertake voluntary work and dedicate themselves to community causes

II.3 Promoting youth participation through information and communication technologies

i. support the establishment of volunteer centres and develop initiatives aimed at supporting and promoting the involvement of young people in voluntary activity such as information and promotional campaigns.

48. Information and communication technologies can offer new possibilities for informing and allowing the participation of young people. They can be used to exchange a wide variety of information, and thanks to their inter-activity, to increase the participation of young people. Local and regional authorities should therefore use these technologies in their information and participation policies, on the condition that access to them is guaranteed for all young people in terms of places of access to and training in these new tools. II.4 Promoting young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation in the media 49. Whilst young people are major media consumers, they can also be actors in this field by increasing the possibilities they are given to express themselves and participate in the production of the information supplied by the media. Through their way of dealing with certain subjects, they allow different and often more accessible information to be provided for their peers. This participation also allows young people to understand the construction of information and to develop the necessary critical faculty. 50. Local and regional authorities should therefore support the creation and the functioning of the media (radio, television, the written and electronic press, etc.) developed by and for young people, as well as relevant training programmes.

51. Young people should be supported and encouraged to engage in voluntary activity. At a time when young people are under increasing pressure to perform and succeed as individuals in education and in the world of work, it is important that volunteerism is promoted and recognised. Therefore, local and regional authorities should:

ii. in partnership with young people, voluntary organisations, educational authorities and employers, develop systems which recognise and validate voluntary activity in the formal education system and in employment. II.6 Support for young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s projects and initiatives 52. Through their hopes and their desires, young people have many ideas which can be translated into projects and local activities that are beneficial to all. Given proper support, these projects, and their successes as well as their failures, can also help young people to develop their sense of responsibility and their autonomy, thus becoming social actors. Local and regional authorities should therefore facilitate the implementation of these projects, be they small- or large-scale, by allowing them to be accompanied in their execution by professionals and to have access to financial, material and technical assistance. II.7 Promoting young peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s organisations 53. Youth organisations are unique in that they are primarily focused on reflecting the views and serving the needs and interests of young people. They also provide a space where young people can learn and experience the opportunities and challenges of participating in decisions and actions with other young people. They can be structured organisations or they can be informal groups of young people. It is important that young people have the opportunity to join a youth organisation of their choice in their 79

community if they so wish. Young people should also have the right and be supported to establish their own organisations if they want to. Therefore: i. local and regional authorities should have a specific budget designated solely for supporting youth organisations that run activities or provide services or act as the voice of young people in the community and advocate on their behalf. Preferenc should be given to organisations that are run by and for young people and/or have policies and systems in place to enable active youth participation; ii. local and regional authorities should develop the Council of Europe comanagement principle and system of decision-making in partnership with young people and youth organisations in policy areas of relevance to young people. It is important that where such co-management structures are put in place, young people and youth organisations are respected as full partners and also have the choice not to participate if they so wish. II.8 Youth participation in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and political parties 54. A vibrant, independent and active non-governmental sector is an essential element of any truly democratic society. It is also important that other sectors of civil society such as political parties are strong and active at a local and regional level. Participation in the democratic life of any country, region or locality is about more than voting every few years. That is why participation in NGOs and political parties is so important, because they help citizens to be involved in, and influence, decisions and actions on an ongoing basis. Therefore it is crucial that young people are encouraged and supported to participate in associative life in their communities.

Part III: Institutional participation by young people in local and regional affairs 57. In order to carry out the sectoral policies set out in part one, local and regional authorities should undertake to put in place the appropriate structures or arrangements enabling the participation of young people in the decisions and debates affecting them. 58. These structures will take on different forms according to the level at which they are established, be it that of a village, a town, an urban neighbourhood within a city, or even a region. They should create the conditions for genuine dialogue and partnership between young people and local and regional authorities and they should enable young people and their representatives to be full actors in the policies affecting them. Such structures should normally be representative and permanent, dealing with all matters in which young people express an interest. In addition it can be envisaged that an ad hoc structure can be made to debate or act upon a specific issue. On occasion it may be appropriate to combine different forms. III.1 Youth councils, youth parliaments, youth forums 59. Effective participation of young people in local and regional affairs should be based on their awareness of the social and cultural changes taking place within their community, and requires a permanent representative structure such as a youth council, a youth parliament or a youth forum. 60. Such a structure may be composed by election, or by appointment from within organisations of young people and/or on a voluntary basis. Its membership should reflect the communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sociological make-up.

55. Local and regional authorities should provide financial and other resources to NGOs which actively promote the participation of young people in their activities and democratic decision making structures and procedures.

61. Young people should assume direct responsibility for projects and play an active part in the related policies. For this purpose, local and regional authorities should create or support structures for active participation.

56. Local and regional authorities, in partnership with political parties and in a nonpartisan manner, should promote the involvement of young people in the party political system in general, and support specific actions, such as training.

62. These structures provide the physical framework for the free expression by young people of their concerns, particularly as regards the raising of such concerns with the authorities, and the possibility of making proposals to them. Issues to be raised might reflect those laid out in Part I of the present Charter.

63. The roles of such a structure might include: i. providing a forum for the free expression by young people of their concerns, relating, inter alia, to proposals and policies of the authorities; ii. offering the possibility for young people to make proposals to the local and regional authorities; iii. enabling authorities to consult young people on specific issues; iv. providing a forum where projects involving young people are developed, monitored and evaluated; v. providing a forum to facilitate consultation with young people’s associations and organisations; vi. facilitating the participation of young people in other consultative bodies of the local and regional authorities. 64. By giving young people the opportunity to speak and act on the problems affecting them, such structures provide training in democratic life and the management of public affairs. 65. Young people should therefore be encouraged to participate in such structures and the activities undertaken within their framework, in order to promote their capacities for learning about and practicing the principles of democratic citizenship. Particularly for those young people who are instigators of projects and dialogue with the authorities, such structures should also provide a forum for training in democratic leadership. 66. The local and regional authorities, and the young people themselves, will also benefit from the multiplier effect that the act of participation by young people in such structures can bring, particularly in terms of encouraging young people in the exercise of their civic rights, such as participation in elections and other forms of polling including referenda.

means and material support necessary for the purpose of ensuring their smooth and effective operation. The provision of such means does not exclude such structures from seeking additional financial and material support from other sources, such as private foundations and companies. 68. Local and regional authorities should ensure that the provision of support to structures of youth participation is guaranteed. To this end, they should appoint a guarantor – a person or group of persons – to follow implementation of support measures, to whom the structures can address themselves in case of need. 69. Such a person or group of persons should be independent from the political structures and from the structures of youth participation, and nomination is agreed upon by both of the above. 70. In addition to guaranteeing the above-mentioned support, the functions of this person(s) could include: i. acting as the interface between young people and the elected local and regional representatives on any issue raised by either of these; ii. acting as the advocate for young people visà-vis the local and regional authorities in situations of tension between the two; iii. acting as a channel through which local and regional authorities can communicate with young people; iv. preparing regular reports for the attention of young people and the local and regional authorities in order to evaluate the level of participation by young people in local and regional life, for example through the implementation of projects or involvement in structures of youth participation, and the impact of their participation.

III.2 Support for structures of youth participation 67. In order to function effectively, institutional structures of youth participation (whether they are formal or informal) require resources and support. To this end, local and regional authorities should provide such structures with the space, financial 81

Expresate!

Say it out loud! Povej naglás! Izsakies skaļi!

Estimada Carmen,

Hola,

Ahora vivo en San Blas, en el barrio de Simancas, en la calle Julián Camarillo. Yo siempre he conocido el barrio como está ahora, aunque mis padres me han dicho que antes había muchas más personas que consumían drogas en el distrito.

La música es muy importante para los jóvenes y para nuestro barrio. Cada vez se organizan desde la Junta menos actividades relacionadas con la música, salvo en las fiestas del barrio o actuaciones para mayores en los centros culturales. Los jóvenes echamos de menos más actividades y espacios musicales para nosotros.

Me gusta mucho el carril bici que empiezo a encontrar por el distrito. También me gusta que el Parque Paraíso, y la avenida que lo rodea este cerrado al tráfico de coches los fines de semana, así podemos ir en bici por ahí. De todas formas, pienso que hay cosas en el distrito que podrían cambiarse, como por ejemplo las zonas deportivas. Ahora sólo se puede jugar tranquilamente en el polideportivo (que está lejos de casa y es muy caro para mí). Siempre he pensado que lo mejor sería abrir los colegios públicos para que los fines de semana o en verano para que tengamos canchas de futbol y baloncesto para jugar gratis. También me gusta que estén haciendo nuevas estaciones de Metro en el distrito… lo que no entiendo es porqué tiene que estar cortado tanto tiempo algunas calles, ni porqué han cortado tantos árboles en las zonas de obras. También me he enterado de que van a cerrar la parte nocturna del instituto de educación secundaria Francisco de Quevedo. Espero que haya nocturo en otros institutos cerca, sino tendré que cambiarme y tardar más de media hora en transporte público para ir a clase el año que viene. Muchas gracias por su atención, María Gutiérrez

Proponemos la organización de más conciertos, donde los grupos del barrio podamos actuar o disfrutar de actuaciones; también necesitaríamos que se nos cediera más fácilmente los espacios de los centros culturales, muchas veces sin ninguna actividad, para que los jóvenes podamos ensayar y ofrecer actuaciones. Es muy difícil encontrar salas de ensayo en el distrito, además son muy caras. Cada vez hay menos presupuesto para traer grupos importantes para las fiestas del barrio y eso se podría solucionar si se nos diera más cancha a los jóvenes del barrio para poder dar nuestra opinión a la hora de organizar las fiestas, ya que hasta ahora no se nos tiene nada en cuenta. Nos gustaría poder opinar y ayudar para organizar actividades hechas por nosotros y para nosotros en el barrio, ya que los organizadores nos tienen poco en cuenta. También nos gustaría que se cediera la instalación del Auditorio del parque Paraiso para hacer conciertos más a menudo. Es un sitio muy bueno, grande, sin vecinos cerca, que está muy bien. Siempre que la pedimos nos dicen que no hay baños en condiciones, y que hay que alquilar los baños portátiles, con lo que eso cuesta. ¿Por qué no abren unos baños públicos en ese auditorio? Por último querría conocer como hay que hacer para participar en la organización de las fiestas del distrito. Siempre que llamamos a la junta nos dicen que ya es tarde y que ya hay una comisión para ello, pero nosotros no sabemos quién la forma. Un saludo, Susana Palacios

Izsakies skaļi!

Expresate! Say it out loud! Povej naglás!

Augsti godātais Jelgavas mēra kungs! Es, Rūdolfs Rozenvalds, Jums rakstu šo vēstuli, lai izteiktu savu nākotnes redzējumu par jauniešiem draudzīgu vidi Jelgavā. Protams, ka sabiedrība grib, lai nākamā paaudze (tai skaitā arī es) izaugtu pēc iespējas labāka, gudrāka, mērķtiecīgāka, inteliģentāka. To, kāda būs nākamā paaudze Jelgavā, nosaka jau šodienas faktori, piemēram, izglītības kvalitāte. Ja mēs vēlamies, lai katra nākamā paaudze kļūtu par arvien labākas sabiedrības pilnvērtīgu daļu, mums par to jāsāk domāt jau laikus, jo apkārtējie apstākļi ir sevišķi svarīgi jauniešiem, kas vēl nav sasnieguši pilngadību. Par cik es piederu pie nākamās sabiedrības paaudzes, jeb, precīzāk, jauniešiem, man ir samērā viegli pateikt, ko es vēlētos uzlabot. Savā nākotnes vīzijā par jauniešiem draudzīgu vidi Jelgavā, vispirms es redzu sakoptu parku, kurā jaunieši pulcējas, lai labi pavadītu kopā laiku. Tajā parkā, netālu no skaistās puķu dobes, atrodas tikpat skaista strūklaka, pie kuras var veldzēties karstā vasaras dienā. Parkā ir daudz soliņu, uz kuriem nav manāmas vandālisma sekas, jo cilvēki tā vairs nedara- viņi nebojā vidi, kurā viņi dzīvo un kura viņiem patīk. Uz pilsētas mājām un sētām nav grafiti atliekas, jo jaunieši nebojā pilsētas kopskatu. Viņi savas radošās ieceres ar krāsu baloniņiem var īstenot speciāli paredzētās vietās.

Manā vīzijā jauniešiem ir arī daudz iespējas pavadīt laiku sportiskā garā. Īpaši daudz ir basketbola un futbola laukumu. Jaunieši var arī vienkārši pastaigāties gar labiekārtoto Lielupes krastu un novērtēt pilsētas skaistumu. Tāpat manā vīzijā ir ļoti viegli pārvietoties pa pilsētu ar nemotorizētu transporta līdzekli, jo lai arī kurp dotos, tur vienmēr būs iespēja aizbraukt ar velosipēdu pa īpaši izveidotiem celiņiem. Turpinot klāstīt savu nākotnes vīziju varu teikt, ka jaunieši ir ne tikai sportiski, kārtīgi, bet arī intelektuāli attīstīti. Jelgavā ir īpaši daudz interešu pulciņu un papildizglītības iespējas, piemēram, dabaszinātnes, vēstures, matemātikas un valodu ārpusstundu grupas. No tā ieguvēji būtu ne tikai jaunieši, iegūstot papildus padziļinātu izglītību, bet arī sabiedrība iegūstot augstas kvalitātes nākotnes speciālistus Manā vīzijā jauniešiem ir īpaši plašas iespējas iekļauties dažādos internacionālos projektos, tādā veidā iegūstot vairāk zināšanas par citām valstīm un radot pozitīvu iespaidu citu valstu iedzīvotājiem par Jelgavu un Latviju kopumā. Tāpat Jelgavā ir īpaši daudz iespējas apmeklēt dažāda veida pasākumus, piemēram, izstādes, koncertus, sacensības. Manā nākotnes vīzijā par jauniešiem draudzīgu vidi Jelgavā ir daudz dažādu sīkumu, kas padara ikdienas dzīvi patīkamāku. Jā! Ziniet, šī ir tikai mana vīzija par nākotni. Iespējams, ka šī vīzija ir utopija. Bet es ceru ka tā nav. Es ceru, ka mainot lietas un procesus, Jelgava tik tiešām kļūs par labāku vietu kur dzīvot un jaunieši leposies ar to, ka ir Jelgavnieki. Es tiešām tā ceru, jo neesmu vienaldzīgs. Nākotne sākas šodien un lai kaut kas mainītos savs darbs jāieliek visiem.

Godājamais Rāviņa kungs, Es Jums rakstu, jo vēlos izteikt savu viedokli par jauniešiem draudzīgu vidi Jelgavā. Man tas ir ļoti svarīgi, jo piederu pie jauniešu grupas un mani uztrauc, vai man un maniem vienaudžiem Jelgava ir pietiekami draudzīga vide. Man vajadzētu pateikties pilsētai, ka mums ir iespēja apmeklēt Sporta skolu, Mākslas skolu un Mūzikas skolu. Protams, jaunieši var izvēlēties starp tādām aktivitātēm kā hokejs, basketbols, futbols un cita veida sports, arī dejošana, dziedāšana un, protams, daudzie pulciņi bērnu un jauniešu centrā “Junda”. Tāpat, man šķiet, ka katrā skolā ir iespējams apmeklēt kori vai dejošanu, nemaz nerunājot par tik specifiskiem pulciņiem kā politika, debašu grupa, varbūt kāda svešvaloda. Es nezinu vai katrā skolā ir tik liela izvēles iespēja, bet jaunieši var apmeklēt arī citu skolu ārpusstundu pulciņus. Pilsēta bērniem un jauniešiem nodrošina diezgan daudz brīvā laika pavadīšanas iespējas, pat par spīti tam, ka daļa šogad tika slēgti. Lai gan pilsētā ir tik daudz aktivitātes, kur jaunieši var piedalīties, tomēr es tomēr domāju, ka ir lauciņš, par ko pilsēta nav padomājusi un tā ir atpūta. Es saprotu, ka jaunatnei ir jāmācās un jāapgūst lietas, kas varētu noderēt dzīvē, tomēr mums vajag arī atpūsties un man nešķiet, ka Jelgavā, būtu kāda tam paredzēta vieta. Mums nav daudz kafejnīcu, nav kinoteātra un nav jauniešu klubi. Jelgavā ir trīs klubi, kas ir paredzēti jauniešiem no 18 gadiem, bet ko darīt pusaudžiem vecumā no 14 līdz 18? Būtu lieliski, ja mums būtu vai nu mūzikas klubs, vai kāda cita vieta, kur jaunieši var pavadīt brīvdienu vakarus. Jelgava tiek uzskatīta par studentu pilsētu, jo mums ir LLU, bet neaizmirsīsim, ka mums ir vairāk nekā 4 vidusskolas, tādēļ Rāviņa kungs es ceru, ka Jūs ņemsiet vērā problēmas, ko es pieminēju un centīsieties tās atrisināt.