On February 3-5, Matilde Ferrari from the Youth Empowerment and Education hub in ALDA had the opportunity to take part in the training on “Citizens’ assemblies with children and youth” in Malaga, Spain. The event was organised by four organisations within the Changemakers for Democracy cohort: Coglobal (Spain), Our Ombudsman (Poland), Ministry of Space collective (Serbia), and Platform for Citizens’ Assemblies (Czech), in collaboration with Katie Reid and Lianne Minasian from Child Rights International Network – CRIN.
Over two days of training, participants gained insight into the benefits of involving younger generations in these discussions, highlighting their potential to contribute meaningfully to decision-making. This context allows the interest in engaging in dialogue and a common goal to be raised from an early age, giving the younger generation the opportunity to make their voices heard by decision-makers. However, analysing the examples of climate assemblies organised in Scotland and Ireland. It is clear that young people have a lot of expertise, creativity and willingness to engage in sharing it with their community and also to shape it through recommendations to decision makers.
This event provided an opportunity to explore youth engagement through deliberative processes, focusing on the organisation of assemblies for children and young people.
The sessions began by exploring the key elements that define youth assemblies and their significance. They then moved on to a practical overview of the methodologies and procedures necessary for effective implementation, with a particular focus on the democratic lottery, assembly design, and activities that encourage the active participation of children from all ages and backgrounds. A valuable aspect of the training was the exchange of ideas among over 40 practitioners from diverse backgrounds, through group discussions and activities that enriched the understanding of the topics.
In this context, ALDA also had the opportunity to present The Future We Want Project as a good practice in the field of youth engagement and participation, in particular for its participatory approach and involvement of participants. By empowering young people to advocate for greater regulation of fast fashion and its advertising measures, the FWW project successfully involved young people, NGO, local networks, schools, national and European stakeholders to ensure that the voice of the younger generation is heard.
This experience has been incredibly enriching, showing new ways to mobilise and involve young people. It highlighted the importance of making them relevant members of their communities, not to be overlooked or silenced. Deliberation techniques can serve as an excellent tool in local communities and future initiatives, empowering young generations to act for both their future and their present.