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Accredited project in the field of youth

2023-1-FR02-KA151-YOU-0001485142023Mobility of young people for accredited organisationsfinalized
Countries: FR · Grant: €9,432

Objectives

This project starts from various observations: in Europe, individualism is on the rise, and voter abstention continues to grow, particularly among young people. Regarding associations, they face significant challenges in renewing their governance bodies, which are also aging. These factors make it urgent to promote civic engagement among young people, as well as to support and encourage their initiatives, with a view to fostering active and sustainable citizenship. Thus, because young people are full of initiatives and ideas but do not always find the tools and structures to support them in their efforts and help them carry out their projects, the MdA of Tourcoing has created a program dedicated to supporting youth-led associative projects (ages 11-25), the “MdA Jeunes.” As part of this initiative, we are supporting the junior association “The Citizenship Explorers,” led by young people seeking to address the challenges mentioned above. The project “Citizenship Explorers across Belgium” is a continuation of the “Explorers” project, in which different cohorts of young people have traveled to various European countries, with the support of the Erasmus+ program, in search of inspiring practices and groups that promote youth engagement. The trips conducted have led to the creation of “proposals” that enrich their label: Citizens Today! These proposals are expanded, refined, and developed after each mobility experience, then disseminated by the participating young people through their respective local networks to keep the label alive. Thus, within the project framework, the young participants and involved organizations promote the good practices of active citizenship observed abroad to local youth workers, schools, and other institutions to better consider young people’s voices. More generally, the project allows young citizens, both minors and young adults, whether already engaged or discovering citizenship, to experience a collective adventure, open up to other cultures, gain autonomy, and strengthen their ability to act. The objectives of our project are as follows: - Promote youth engagement in Europe and instill in participants the desire to engage, - Contribute to the recognition of volunteer skills, - Explore the issues of sustainable development and soft mobility, - Build lasting ties with engaged young Europeans, - Make mobility opportunities accessible to young people with fewer opportunities, - Enable young people to develop project management skills. The project took the form of an action-research study on the theme of youth citizenship in Europe and ecological transition, in partnership with the Youth House of Angleur (“MJ1313”) in Liège. This partnership brought together MJ1313, an open youth structure, a place of sharing and encounters, supporting social diversity and openness through its actions, and actively involving its young beneficiaries in the construction of their associative projects. The MdA of Tourcoing, for its part, contributed its experience in supporting youth initiatives and its associative expertise to this partnership. The implementation of activities inspired by popular education methods and the meeting between structured youth groups from France and Belgium allowed us to create a network of young people interested in citizenship in the broadest sense. The objectives of promoting various ways to actively participate in civic life, addressing ecological transition issues, and developing young people’s skills were achieved through inspiring encounters on various topics (sustainable food, youth policies, etc.), waste collection, street interviews, and moments of exchange and co-construction (before, during, and after the project).

Project partners (1)