As part of the Empowering Youth to advocate for Green Future project, supported by the EU through the RYDE small grants program Local Youth Initiatives Fund, a three-day training was held in Niš. The training gathered representatives of Youth Councils from Kraljevo, Raška, Dimitrovgrad, Leskovac, and Senta, as well as representatives of local civil society organizations.
The goal of the training was to strengthen the capacities of young people and CSOs for active participation in the creation and implementation of environmental policies at the local level. Participants had the opportunity to learn about key environmental protection topics, including sustainable urban development, waste management, clean energy, and air quality, as well as mechanisms for public participation and advocacy for environmental initiatives.
Experts in environmental protection presented current challenges and opportunities for improving ecological policies in local communities. Additionally, the roles and challenges of Youth Councils in Serbia were analyzed, and participants engaged in interactive workshops to develop strategies for increasing youth participation in policymaking.
On the final day, participants worked with practical tools for advocating environmental initiatives and community mobilization. The closing session was dedicated to an exchange of experiences with a representative from the Okular organization in Ćićevac, who shared a successful example of establishing and running a Youth Council.
The training’s conclusions highlighted the need to strengthen the capacities of Youth Councils, improve communication between young people, CSOs, and local authorities, and provide institutional support for youth participation. Participants emphasized a strong interest in environmental issues but recognized the need for systematic reinforcement of mechanisms that enable young people to actively engage in decision-making.
The next steps of the project will focus on gathering input from local communities and developing concrete recommendations to improve environmental policies in five municipalities.
This post is also available in SRP.
