It is especially important for young people to learn how to participate in shaping decisions that affect them. That is why we are committed to participation and are involved in youth policy as a whole.
Co-determination and co-determination lead to better living together, more justice and a stronger society. For young people in particular, it is crucial to learn that their voice counts and that they can help shape decisions that affect them. This is why we are committed to youth participation and youth policy.
However, children and young people usually need active invitation and encouragement to understand that they have the opportunity and that it is worthwhile to participate. They also need space to learn how participation works and develop the skills they need to do so. Only then will they be able to actively participate in local, regional and international decision-making processes and, through their participation, ensure a stronger, fairer society and better coexistence.
We as IZ therefore implement civil society youth projects in Europe and neighboring regions with funding from grants or foundations. We work in a participatory manner per se: the young people help shape the projects themselves, experience the associated negotiation processes and develop the necessary skills. Often the project topics also have to do with participation and youth policy – the basis is, for example, the international youth policy of the European Council, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and the EU Danube Region Strategy.
Through our many years of work as a national agency for EU youth funding, we are very well networked at national and international level with stakeholders in youth work and youth policy and see ourselves as bridge builders between Austrian and European youth policy. In Austria, we are members of various committees in order to contribute our expertise and view of European youth policy. In addition, we offer targeted conferences and training courses on current youth policy topics for young people and multipliers.
As part of the EU Council Presidency in 2018, we have also developed the eleven Youth Goals in an elaborate participatory process involving around 50,000 European young people. With this background we will continue to keep a critical eye on European and Austrian youth policy measures, participate in decision-making processes and provide innovative impulses.