CALL FOR PARTICIPATION: POLICY LABS ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION, EMPLOYMENT, HEALTH, MEDIA, AND CULTURE

Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe – RYDE

Join us in creating opportunities for collaboration, bringing together young people and policy makers to discuss and work on mainstreaming youth policies across all relevant areas!

RYDE (Regional Youth Dialogue for Europe) project team invites youth representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), ministries/institutions, local decision-makers, youth councils, youth from political parties, youth representatives from media and other relevant stakeholders  to join the upcoming policy labs. These sessions aim to establish and improve dialogue between decision-makers and youth representatives in order to jointly identify opportunities for improving youth policies in the Western Balkans in the following five areas:

• Youth participation
• Youth employment (with a focus on Youth Guarantees)
• Sexual and reproductive health
• Media literacy among youth
• Culture and cultural heritage

POLICY LABS OVERVIEW

National Level: Each country (partnering organisation) will host 3 Policy Labs on national level (1 in-person and 2 online). These labs will gather youth representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), ministries/institutions, local decision-makers, youth councils, youth from political parties, youth representatives from media and other relevant stakeholders to discuss and propose recommendations based on the detailed „Joint Comparative Analysis of Youth Policies in the Western Balkans“.

Regional Level will serve as the basis for policy identification. Regional Policy Labs (1 in-person and 2 online) will bring together representatives from across the region to further refine, discuss and share examples from each country which can be used in formulation of the recommendations.

WHY PARTICIPATE?

This is a unique opportunity to:

• Contribute to policy recommendations that address important youth issues in your country and the region.
• Collaborate with peers from ministries, relevant institutions, youth councils, NGOs, political parties, and other relevant stakeholders
• Be part of a broader regional conversation, sharing and learning best practices from neighboring countries.

WHO CAN JOIN?

We are seeking participants with experience in the above listed five areas from:

• Ministries (youth-related and topic-specific)
• Youth councils and organizations
• CSOs
• Political parties
• Independent institutions
• Individuals/youth activists 
• Local decision-makers

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU:

• Before the event, make sure you thoroughly understand the topic. Prepare any recent developments, key challenges, and successful strategies related to the topic.
• Engage actively in the discussions by listening attentively and responding thoughtfully. Asking clarifying questions or providing examples from your own experience can enrich the conversation.
• Offer constructive feedback that is specific and actionable. Focus on how policy documents can be implemented or improved based on your insights or observations.
• Help formulate clear, practical recommendations. Draw on best practices, evidence from your work, or successful outcomes you've observed or been part of.

The organisation hosting in charge of the topic will compose the team for each lab based on the expressed interest. The activities are expected to start in October/November.

Please select one of the topics from the table below when applying for the policy labs via the email provided. For national teams, apply within the topic designated for your country. Alternatively, you may choose to participate in regional policy labs by selecting from the other topics listed.

How to Apply:

Interested parties should submit their expression of interest with detailed information about activities in relevant area via email by October 18th, 2024.

Join us in shaping the future of youth policies, employment, health, media, and culture in the Western Balkans. Together, we can create impactful, evidence-based policy recommendations that reflect the needs and priorities of young people across the region.

For more information, please contact Network of Progressive Initiatives via email anida@mpi.ba