At its plenary session in Paris on 12 March, the Committee on Culture, Science, Education, and the Media of the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) held an exchange of views with representatives of the Youth Sector of the Council of Europe, to prepare two important reports with focus on the role of young people in revitalising democracy and preserving rural culture and heritage.
The report on “The Role of Youth in Revitalising Democracy,” prepared by PACE rapporteur Sona Ghazaryan (Armenia, ALDE), addresses issues related to young people’s civil and political rights, social and economic equality, and cultural rights. It highlights the importance of these issues in strengthening youth engagement and their role in revitalising democracy.
The report on “Preserving European Rural Culture and Heritage,” prepared by PACE rapporteur Zeynep Yıldız (Türkiye, NR), explores challenges such as climate change, sustainability, resource management, the loss of vernacular heritage in urban and suburban areas, youth migration from rural regions, depopulation, and the decline of traditional skills and intangible heritage.
During the exchange of views with Xesc Mainzer and Matias Rubio, members of the Advisory Council on Youth, and Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, the members of the PACE Committee on Culture, Science, Education, and the Media discussed the youth sector's contributions to the two reports, while promoting a youth perspective.
The Council of Europe has made significant strides in these areas, particularly in addressing young people’s perspectives. The Youth Sector Strategy 2030 and the Youth for Democracy Programme reflect the growing concerns of young people regarding declining democracies, the climate crisis, and the impact these issues have on their future. The youth project “Democracy Here! Democracy Now! is being implemented with the aim to revitalise democracy through strengthening mutual trust between young people and democratic institutions and processes.
The Joint Council on Youth, the co-managed decision-making body within the youth sector, has recently approved recommendations on the social, economic, and political participation of rural youth that underscore the need for policies and programmes that support the preservation, transformation, and transmission of cultural heritage. The European Youth Centre in Strasbourg and Budapest of the European youth sector stand as key examples of tangible youth cultural heritage sites.
