SAYouth

10 events, both on-line and “in situ”, have been carried out within this project from March 2021 to April 2023. Indeed, due the Covid-19 outbreak, the end of the project has been postponed of 18 months with the approval of this change of the EACEA.

Event 1 – on line meeting

Participation: The event involved 34 citizens, including 10 participants from Ale Municipality (Sweden), 2 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 4 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 4 participants from Thermi Municipality (Greece), 6 participants from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 1 participant from Scandiano Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland) and 3 participants from SERN (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event was implemented on-line on 3^rd-4^th March 2021.
Short description:  The aim of the event was to let the partners know, to define better the project implementation phase in order to achieve the project objectives, to divide tasks among partners (dissemination, monitoring, evaluation) and the work plan in local and transnational events. Due to the Covid pandemic the start of the project has been postponed of one year. In the planning of the activities, particular attention has been paid to the coherence and effectiveness of the reaching project objectives mainly with distance meetings.

Event 2 – on line meeting
Participation: The event involved 56 citizens, including 14 participants from Ale Municipality (Sweden), 9 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 5 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 5 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 7 participants from Thermi Municipality (Greece), 4 participants from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 7 participants from Scandiano Municipality (Italy), 3 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland) and 2 participants from SERN (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event was implemented on-line from 15^th to 17^th June 2021
Short description:  The focus of the event was on European practices and experiences to increase young people active participation in civic society. Particular attention was paid in the workgroups discussion, on the one hand, on how to create a trustful and cooperative relation with decision and policy makers; and on the other hand, on challenges that young people have to face, above all after the pandemic outbreak.

Numerous presentations have been held with the introduction of activities of Swedish youth councils and experiences of youth organisations in the partners’ countries. Special focus was on the role of group leaders to increase participation and commitment in the civic society. Furthermore, practices on how to promote active youth influence in the political and volunteering sphere have been discussed and exchanged among partners.

Event 3
Participation: The event involved 36 citizens, including 2 participants from Ale Municipality (Sweden), 9 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 2 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 3 participants from Thermi Municipality (Greece), 2 participants from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 12 participants from Scandiano Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland) and 2 participants from SERN (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Sala Baganza and Scandiano, Italy from 26/04/2022 to 30/04/2022.
Short description: The local event hosted by the two Italian municipalities represented the occasion to know in deeper the youth associations in the municipalities, to meet peers and to discuss about the organisation of the local youth associations and about the relations with policy makers.

Special focus was on the topic of young people in a crisis period; indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Europe between Russia and Ukraine, events of bullying or cyberbullying and violent behaviours affected negatively young people and their participation within the society. The dialogue with public authorities, education institutions and youth associations has to be considered vital to re-establish a positive outlook for European young people and to improve their civic involvement, their participation in the democratic life and their engagement in the political and social framework.

Moreover, the local event aimed to present the Sayouth project to local stakeholders and gather impressions and ideas on the project final output.

Event 4

Participation: The event involved 28 citizens, including 2 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 2 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 2 participants from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 19 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland) and 1 participant from SERN (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Myslowice (Poland) from 13/06/2022 to 15/06/2022.

Short description: The local event represented the occasion to know in deeper the youth associations in the municipalities, to meet peers and to discuss about the organisation of the local youth associations and about the relations with policy makers.

Particular attention was paid at the organisation and the generational change in the local youth councils and the discussion highlighted challenges and possible solutions.

Moreover, the local event aimed to present the Sayouth project to local stakeholders and gather impressions and ideas on the project final output.

Event 5

Participation: The event involved 26 citizens, including 2 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 13 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 1 participant from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 2 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland), 2 participants from Thermi (Greece) and 4 participants from Scandiano (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Seinajoki from 31/08/2022 to 02/09/2022.

Short description: The local event represented the occasion to know in deeper the youth associations in the municipalities, to meet peers and to discuss about the organisation of the local youth associations and about the relations with policy makers.

Particular attention was paid at the active participation of young people in rural areas also with the support of digital tools.

Moreover, the local event aimed to present the Sayouth project to local stakeholders and gather impressions and ideas on the project final output.

Event 6

Participation: The event involved 31 citizens, including 1 participant from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 2 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 20 participant from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany),  2 participants from Thermi (Greece), 2 participants from Scandiano (Italy) and 1 participant from Ale (Sweden) and 1 participant from SERN (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Pforzheim, Germany, from 21/09/2022 to 23/09/2023.

Short description: The local event represented the occasion to know in deeper the youth associations in the municipalities, to meet peers and to discuss about the organisation of the local youth associations and about the relations with policy makers.

Particular attention was paid at the organisation of youth clubs and associations in Germany and the role of communication in increasing influence and participation of young people in civic society.

Moreover, the local event aimed to present the Sayouth project to local stakeholders and gather impressions and ideas on the project final output.

Event 7

Participation: The event involved 36 citizens, including 2 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 22 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 2 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 2 participant from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 2 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland), 2 participants from Thermi (Greece), 2 participants from Scandiano (Italy) and 2 participants from Ale (Sweden).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 03/10/2022 to 06/10/2022.

Short description: The local event represented the occasion to know in deeper the youth associations in the municipalities, to meet peers and to discuss about the organisation of the local youth associations and about the relations with policy makers.

Particular attention was paid at the links of the youth participation in society and the governance of associations based on critical thinking, mainly in e-governance.

Moreover, the local event aimed to present the Sayouth project to local stakeholders and gather impressions and ideas on the project final output.

Event 8

Participation: The event involved 27 citizens, including 2 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 2 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 2 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 1 participant from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 2 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland), 13 participants from Thermi (Greece), 2 participants from Scandiano (Italy) and 2 participants from Ale (Sweden) and 1 participant from SERN.

Location / Dates: The event took place in Thermi and Thessaloniki, Greece, from 07/11/2022 to 09/11/2022.

Short description: The local event represented the occasion to know in deeper the youth associations in the municipalities, to meet peers and to discuss about the organisation of the local youth associations and about the relations with policy makers.

Particular attention was paid to the organisation and governance of youth councils in Greece through the Sociocratic method.

Moreover, the local event aimed to present the Sayouth project to local stakeholders and gather impressions and ideas on the project final output.

Event 9 – on line meeting

Participation: The event involved 26 citizens, including 3 participants from Ale Municipality (Sweden), 3 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 3 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 4 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 3 participants from Thermi Municipality (Greece), 2 participants from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 2 participants from Scandiano Municipality (Italy), 3 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland) and 3 participants from SERN (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event was implemented on line on 13/12/2022.

The aim of the event was to present and discuss the main contents of the local events implemented in the partners’ countries, highlighting best practices and experiences that youth associations and municipalities could transfer at local level. Moreover, a specific session on the digital tool, as project final output, took place to discuss the in-progress activities.

Event 10

Participation: The event involved 44 citizens, including 20 participants from Ale Municipality (Sweden), 3 participants from Sala Baganza Municipality (Italy), 4 participants from BASD (Bulgaria), 4 participants from Liiveri (Finland), 4 participants from Thermi Municipality (Greece), 2 participants from Jugendring Enzkreis (Germany), 3 participant from Scandiano Municipality (Italy), 3 participants from the Municipality of Myslowice (Poland) and 1 participants from SERN (Italy).

Location / Dates: The event took place in Ale and Gothenburg, Sweden, from 18/04/2023 to 21/04/2023.

Short description: The final meeting was aimed to analyse the impact of the project on participants and their organisations, to plan possible follow-ups and to evaluate the project results.

Particular attention was paid to:

• Key of success with a discussion in creative transnational work groups of the main positive elements presented by partners during the events. The most important elements underlined were: how to increase volunteering between different generations, how to create real youth driven projects, and how to cooperate fruitfully with local public authorities.
• Follow-ups with the discussion of three main points: what do you take with you from the project? Is there anything you have already implemented in your organisation thanks to the project? Is there the opportunity of further cooperation?

On this last point, various partners agreed on cooperating to submit Erasmus+ projects, in particular about the methods to manage a youth council/association through the sociocratic method.

The meeting was also the occasion to present the prototype of the project digital tool that has the main objective to continue and enlarge the cooperation among European partners for new projects, youth exchanges and to find inspiration from others’ activities.