During February-May 2026 participants of the programme for young people on the Council of Europe approaches in youth sector implemented a series of initiatives to implement a youth perspective and strengthen the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making processes.
The programme for 22 young people from 11 regions of Ukraine was implemented by the Council of Europe project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase IV” in co-operation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Youth Councils Association.
One of such initiatives was the “Youth Policy Lab” event, organized by Oleksandr Velychko in Mykhailo-Lukashivska territorial community of Zaporizhzhia region. The event brought together representatives of the youth council, local authorities, civil society, business and active youth to jointly develop proposals for the Community youth support programme for 2026-2030. During interactive work in the format of a world café, participants identified the current needs of young people, discussed key challenges in the field of youth policy, and jointly looked for solutions. During the Youth Policy Lab, special attention was paid to the modern approaches of the Council of Europe in the youth sector, in particular the co-management system, which provides for the participation of young people in decision-making and policy-making processes.
Another initiative was the workshop “European Integration Begins in Your Community”, which was implemented by Yevhen Nakonechnyi in Uzhhorod. The event combined an interactive workshop, work with the RMSOS model to ensure youth participation (right, means, space, opportunities and support), an analysis of Roger Hart’s Ladder of participation and a board game about the participation of young people “Solutions exist!”. The participants explored how local civic engagement is related to democratic processes and European integration of Ukraine, as well as practiced negotiation, advocacy and joint decision-making skills. The workshop was based on non-formal education approaches and resources of the Council of Europe, in particular the European charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life and the manual on human rights education with young people “Compass”.
Iryna Negriy held an online event “Youth participation without myths: from symbolic to real” for students of Melitopol State Pedagogical University. The participants got acquainted with the Roger Hart’s Ladder of participation, analyzed cases, participated in surveys, discussed the mechanisms of youth influence on decision-making processes and jointly developed ideas for strengthening the role of young people in the university environment and public life. Attention was paid to understanding the difference between formal and meaningful participation of young people, as well as the need for an accessible explanation of the mechanisms of participation and mentoring support for young people.
In Lutsk, Alina Tendiuk organised a mentoring and educational meeting for first-year students of the Faculty of International Relations of Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University. The event was dedicated to the adaptation of young people in higher education, opportunities for self-realization, non-formal education and leadership skills development. During the meeting, participants learned more about youth participation tools and opportunities for involvement in community life.
The online initiative “Youth creates change” was implemented by Alyona Hrymalo and Anna Bizikova for the youth of Koblivska community of Mykolaiv region. The event combined discussions on youth participation, teamwork on local problems, ideas for community development, planning initiative groups and modeling consultations with local authorities. Participants got acquainted with the standards and approaches of the Council of Europe and priorities of European Youth Foundation, which helped to adapt European practices to the needs of the community.
The implemented initiatives demonstrate how young people can multiply the approaches of the Council of Europe in the youth sector, in particular regarding the introduction of a youth perspective and strengthening the participation of young people in decision-making processes at local, regional and national levels in the war and post-war period.
As a reminder, within the framework of the Council of Europe programme in November 2025 - May 2026, a team of young people:
- developed competencies during training on Council of Europe approaches in the youth sector and the round table “Towards Youth Perspectives: Youth Work and Youth Policy during the Reconstruction of Ukraine” in Lviv – European Youth Capital 2025, 24-28 November 2025;
- received mentoring and expert support for the multiplication of the Council of Europe’s approaches in the youth sector in Ukraine, the introduction of a youth perspective and strengthening the participation of young people in decision-making processes at the local, regional and national levels in the war and post-war period, February-May 2026;
- strengthened skills in planning activities with young people to ensure youth participation in decision-making processes, using non-formal education approaches and organising and conducting educational events, February-May 2026;
- implemented pilot activities to implement a youth perspective and strengthen the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making processes.
The Council of Europe project “Youth for Democracy in Ukraine: Phase IV” is implemented within the framework of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine “Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction” for 2023-2026. More information about the project, including news, resources in the field of youth, and open calls for participation in project activities can be found here.
