The Cultural Routes programme assigns an important role to young people and youth participation. For example, themes and activities of the routes must facilitate cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans. The call of the Reykjavík Declaration for the inclusion of a youth perspective across the work of the Council of Europe further supports these aims and provides an opportunity to promote youth participation across the whole programme.
The Working Group on Youth Participation in the Cultural Routes met for the first time in Luxembourg between 16-17 March to review the status and forms of youth participation in the routes. It brings together representatives of the Advisory Council on Youth, the European Youth Card Association and youth leaders from the youthHansa and the ERIH Young Professionals Network. The groups medium-term proposals on how to improve youth engagement in the Programme and the cultural routes themselves will be presented at the meeting of the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement in May.
The work of the Group will also feed into ongoing initiatives to revitalise democracy in Europe and beyond such as The New Democratic Pact for Europe and the Reflection Group on Thematic Representativeness which focuses on historical and cultural expressions related to women, science, minorities, intangible heritage, and contemporary cultural and technological developments. The upcoming 40th Anniversary of the Programme will also provide space to realise how young people are crucial for the sustainability of the Cultural Routes.
