Between 1-3 August, 29 young individuals from 13 pilot municipalities in Georgia gathered in Tbilisi to learn ways to get involved in political decision making in their municipalities. During the Council of Europe Youth Camp, the participants acquired knowledge about different civil participation methodologies and got acquainted with successful and innovative youth participation practices across Europe.
Furthermore, a guest speaker from the Youth Agency of the Georgian Government introduced to the participants the Youth Policy of Georgia for 2020-2030 highlighting the opportunities for youth participation at local and national level. Moreover, a visit to the Parliament of Georgia allowed the youngsters to learn about the work of the Parliament and the opportunities for citizens to engage in parliamentary work.
During the 3-day Youth Camp, the young people, who were either members of NGOs or individual active young citizens, had the opportunity to develop solutions for different municipal issues by applying the “Uchange” game methodology and to explore advocacy techniques enabling them to make their voices heard in the community.
The Youth Camp, which also integrated elements of the Council of Europe information campaign “Change the scenario – play your role” combined interactive discussions, games, presentations and creative workshops to provide young people, outside from school and university context, with necessary skills to actively engage in local decision making. Moreover, the peer-to-peer learning experience allowed likeminded youngsters to interact with each other, share their knowledge, ideas and skills, and to build up new friendships and professional networks.
“During the youth camp I met people who are trying to change the scenario for the better in their communities. The strong network of like-minded people from various municipalities creates perspectives for future co-operation among youth, enabling us to unite and work together to achieve our goals. I would like to thank the Council of Europe for providing this opportunity. I believe that we are the generation that will build a better country, and in order to do so, we must begin by improving ourselves”, mentioned one of the participants from Tbilisi.
“Uchange” game is one of the most interesting methodologies taught in the camp. It is a very useful tool for civil engagement. It was also crucial that theoretical knowledge was supported by practical exercises and quizzes. The experience I gained will be highly beneficial in preparing initiatives and developing projects aimed at bringing about change in my community”, confirmed another participants from Borjomi municipality.
The youth camp took place in the framework of the project “Strengthening Participatory Democracy and Human Rights at Local Level in Georgia”, and was organised by the Directorate General of Democracy and Human Dignity, Division of Elections and Participatory Democracy within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023 with the financial contribution of the Austrian Development Cooperation.
