We begin this report by stating that the implementation experience of the project PREZENT #înRITMrural was a valuable one, both for us as organisers and for the young participants. We succeeded in creating a direct dialogue between more than 13 decision-makers (from national, county and local level) and over 50 young people during the Rural Youth and Decision-Makers Forum (FORUM 3D): Dialogue. Decisions. Democracy., where the public position paper “Young people from rural areas often live between two worlds” was developed. Under the umbrella of the project, together with the young participants from the first mobility, we also organised the third edition of the Rural Youth Day 2025, the largest festival dedicated to youth participation in rural areas, awarded for the third time at the Romanian Youth Gala. More than 2000 young people from rural communities, coming from over 15 communes in 9 counties, took part in the 34 activities included in the public calendar of Rural Youth Day 2025. Through the project PREZENT, we aimed to contribute to increasing the democratic participation of young people from rural areas in Romania and to respond to real needs identified directly through our field work and through constant dialogue with members of the Informal Network of Young People from Rural Areas (RITM). One of the most common barriers highlighted by young people was the fear of interacting with public authorities, the lack of trust that their opinions matter, and the perception that decision-making processes are inaccessible or mostly reserved for adults. In many rural communities, young people face limited participation opportunities, reduced access to information about democratic mechanisms, and very few contexts in which they can engage civically. Geographic isolation and distance from central decision-making structures, the lack of local youth structures, and the absence of regular consultation practices make democratic participation difficult to access for rural youth. In this context, the project aimed to build real bridges of dialogue between young people with fewer opportunities and decision-makers, transforming participation from an abstract concept into a concrete, accessible and meaningful experience. The project was built on the experience accumulated by Go Free Association in coordinating the RITM network and implementing previous initiatives dedicated to rural youth. While previous stages focused on connecting young people, building a community of practice and encouraging local involvement, through PREZENT we aimed to strengthen the role of young people and of the RITM network as relevant actors in consultation and decision-making processes at local, regional and national level. The objectives of the project were: 1. To develop the participation competences of young people from the RITM Network in decision-making processes at regional and national level, for 30 young people from rural Romania. 2. To increase the capacity of at least 30 RITM members to monitor legislative changes, decisions, regulations and public policies affecting the lives of young people in rural areas, and to act collectively through the network in order to make their voices heard by authorities. 3. To improve the dialogue between rural youth and regional & national authorities by connecting at least 45 young people and 13 decision-makers within a national event - the Rural Youth and Decision-Makers Forum - and to combat young people’s fear of authorities. 4. To increase the visibility of the rural youth sector by strengthening the Rural Youth Day (third edition) as the largest festival of youth participation in rural areas, creating a context for participation and dialogue with decision-makers for young people from at least 20 rural communities. Young people were involved in all stages of the project, developing their participation competences through various actions: engaging in practical exercises for developing public position papers, creating content for the video-guide on how young people can communicate better with decision-makers, co-organising the FORUM 3D or the Rural Youth Day 2025, and many other activities. The project promoted European values such as participatory democracy, dialogue between young people and decision-makers, responsible freedom of expression, solidarity, social inclusion, equal opportunities and community engagement. Through the implemented activities, young people better understood how public institutions function, what their rights and responsibilities are, how they can contribute to change, how to interact with decision-makers and how to organise events. Through PREZENT, we aimed to transform young people’s fear of addressing authorities into civic courage, to create real contexts for participation and involvement in decision-making for rural youth, to support youth initiative, to connect young people, and to strengthen both their capacity and the representative role of the RITM Network.