Young people in rural areas often face challenges such as limited access to quality non-formal education, a lack of youth-friendly spaces, and few opportunities to participate in decision-making processes. Although they are often portrayed as passive or uninterested, our experience shows that young people are highly willing to engage in their communities when they have access to the right tools and a supportive environment. However, without structured support and opportunities for participation, it is difficult for them to influence local decision-makers and advocate for their own interests and needs. The project aimed to increase young people's competence in civic participation and decision-making processes. Another goal was to provide experience in engaging with decision-makers, demystify their role for young people, and make them more accessible. The general objective of the project was to empower young people for active participation and dialogue with decision-makers by using deliberation as a method of active involvement in decision-making processes in rural communities. This was achieved through three specific objectives: Strengthening key competencies of young people to take an active role in local community development and creating opportunities for their engagement. Creating spaces for consultations with decision-makers. Exchanging experiences with young people from rural areas across different regions of Croatia. The Ruralna Spika project addressed these challenges by creating a context in which young people could be empowered to actively participate in shaping their own communities. The project focused on strengthening youth participation through deliberation. Deliberation is a structured discussion method that enables young people to critically examine local issues, express their perspectives, and propose informed solutions to decision-makers. In this way, the project enhanced young people's capacity to advocate for their needs, collaborate with stakeholders, and contribute to sustainable local development. Through consultations with decision-makers and participation in decision-making processes, the project empowered participants and helped change the perception of young people as valuable actors in local governance. The long-term impact of the project is reflected in fostering a culture of youth participation and ensuring that young people are recognized as active agents of change in their communities. By combining interactive workshops, deliberative exercises, and structured consultations with decision-makers, the project provided young people with the tools to navigate civic processes and advocate for their interests in a meaningful way. Young participants also had the opportunity to experience the process of developing their own recommendations and collaborating with young people from another local community. Through this cooperation, they exchanged experiences and contributed to the development of their recommendations by incorporating perspectives from rural youth in different local contexts.