CONTEXT
One of the major challenges in Europe today is the low level of youth participation in social and civic life. The reasons for this are varied, including a scarcity of youth-focused policies at local, regional, and national levels. There is also a significant lack of safe spaces dedicated to young people for their growth and leisure activities. Often, young people are unable to create anything due to insufficient support for establishing youth clubs and a lack of resources or guidance.
The situation is even more pressing for rural youth. They face significant barriers such as inadequate infrastructure, poor public transportation, and the absence of youth centres or organised activities. These factors impede their participation in social and civic life. Additionally, rural youth often have fewer educational, cultural, and social opportunities. EU opportunities rarely reach small villages and remote areas, making it difficult for rural youth to engage. Public institutions and organisations, typically based in larger cities, find it time-consuming and costly to reach out to these remote areas, often leaving rural youth behind.
As a consortium, we conducted research within our local communities to understand the needs of young people and to identify the barriers they face in becoming more involved. The feedback we received was consistent: most young people feel there is little to do in their areas, have few opportunities to meet peers or spend their free time meaningfully, and lack connection to European values and knowledge about Erasmus+ and other EU youth services. Our research highlighted a significant need to stimulate youth participation by providing resources and spaces for them to become active citizens.
OBJECTIVES
Creating EU Villages aims to bring more opportunities and European values into remote areas which used to be left behind when it comes to youth work. Rural youth will be empowered to create their own youth clubs to gather and run activities, as well as youth-led info desks to support their peers and raise overall participation. Those, working with rural youngsters, will receive useful tools to successfully reach their target group and their communities will benefit from increased opportunities.
Our specific objectives are:
- To identify and understand the difficulties young people face in accessing opportunities, gathering, and creating youth clubs, especially in rural areas and city suburbs across Europe.
- To provide a comprehensive manual guiding young people in creating their own youth clubs and spaces. This includes establishing youth-led info desks and managing these initiatives in terms of space, cooperation with municipalities, activities, and funding.
- To equip young people across the participating countries with the skills needed to develop activities for their peers, share information about youth activities, and create gathering spaces for other youngsters in rural areas.
- To develop a manual for youth organisations, institutions, and those working with youth on how to increase the involvement of youth from remote areas in their activities.
- To facilitate debates and collaborative efforts between stakeholders and young people to create recommendations and new paths for youth policies, focusing on the establishment of youth clubs and info desks at the rural level.
- To gather the voices of rural youth to identify their challenges in being active participants in the European community. Use these insights to enhance youth work at both European and local levels to better support and include rural youth.
- To foster cooperation between policymakers and young people in the creation of youth clubs, info desks, and youth spaces by promoting collaborative activities at the local level.
