Living far from major urban centres, having few opportunities for mobility, or feeling that their voices are not heard in decisions affecting their future: these are some of the factors that still limit the participation of many young people today.
It is with this in mind that ACTIVATE promotes participatory initiatives designed to empower young people and foster more inclusive and accessible forms of engagement.
The initiative launched its programme to support young people’s civic engagement with an initial phase of discussion and critical reflection, which saw the direct participation of the young people themselves, alongside youth workers and figures active in various fields of participation, education and culture.
This first phase, which has just concluded, aimed to gather experiences and perspectives directly from those involved on the key issues of youth participation, highlighting the factors that encourage it and those that, conversely, hinder it.
This principle of co-research reflects the conceptual framework underpinning the project, which adopts intersectionality as an interpretative lens for participation. In other words, it examines how the interplay between different identities and social positions influences the possibilities and ways in which people can engage in participatory processes.
With this in mind, a series of dialogue-based workshops were organised, involving a diverse range of voices representing different experiences and perspectives, often marginalised in public debate. The exchange between participants brought to light differences in opportunities linked to gender, background and accessibility conditions, particularly of a geographical nature. The intersectional lens allows us to observe how these factors intertwine and affect opportunities for participation in different ways.
It emerged, for example, that distance from urban centres does not have the same impact on everyone. Where there are significant economic inequalities, travel costs represent a major barrier, compounded by limited availability of time, as free time is often spent working or seeking income. Similarly, gender can affect opportunities for participation when geographical distance is compounded by reduced accessibility and a perception that public and community spaces are less safe.
These material, economic and gender-related difficulties are compounded by institutional barriers, such as a lack of public resources or targeted initiatives, access to information that is not always effective, and the use of institutional language that is often perceived as overly complex and distant. Added to this is a factor no less significant on a social and cultural level: participants expressed the feeling that they had little influence in decision-making processes and were not considered fully credible simply because they were young.
Alongside the analysis of obstacles, the workshops also served as a space for developing possible solutions, starting from the critical issues that emerged in the various local contexts. Indeed, it is from the local level that we must begin in order to develop effective responses.
As geographical distance and a lack of infrastructure were identified as the main obstacles in the Sicilian context, the proposals focused primarily on strengthening public transport and developing advocacy and lobbying activities at municipal level. The establishment of partnership networks between different stakeholders, including the public sector, was also central, as these were considered essential tools for intervening in a more structural manner in areas far from urban centres and affected by depopulation. Among the proposals that emerged were also policies to incentivise local employment, accompanied by a gender perspective capable of ensuring fairer opportunities.
The dialogue with young people was complemented by an equally significant dialogue with stakeholders, youth workers and organisations involved in community work and activism in the Monti Sicani, an inland area of Sicily which, like many others, has experienced depopulation over the years. Today, however, this area is also seeing a return of young people who are choosing to return to their places of origin to help create new opportunities for local communities.
It was possible to explore these dynamics in greater depth thanks to a dialogue with one of the most active organisations in the area, Arci Sikanamente.
Here too, the discussion highlighted several key challenges in the area, including the distance from services, the isolation of individual municipalities, and the lack of infrastructure capable of connecting communities and people.
Faced with these challenges, Arci Sikanamente and other associations and youth organisations active in the area see culture and art as fundamental tools for fostering connections and participation. This approach underpins the long-term work currently underway to build a network among the municipalities of the Sicani, with the aim of strengthening collaboration between the territories, promoting cohesion within the area and, consequently, enhancing its appeal.
These findings have also brought to light further aspects that align with some of the project’s key themes, including the role of social media in participation and the social and geographical divides between groups that often prevent similar difficulties from being communicated and discourage forms of active and supportive participation.
The insights gained during this initial phase confirm that participation depends not only on individual motivation, but also on the opportunities offered by local communities. For this reason, ACTIVATE will continue to work alongside young people, communities and local organisations through a series of webinars, in-person activities, workshops and forums, to build spaces of citizenship that are more accessible, inclusive and capable of giving voice to everyone.
To stay updated on ACTIVATE’s activities and to sign up for upcoming initiatives, click on the following link: ACTIVATE Programme or contact melisa.bucur@danilodolci.org.
ACTIVATE – Active Citizens for a Stronger Europe is a project funded by the CERV-2025-CITIZENS-CIV (Citizens’ engagement and participation) programme with the aim of revitalising civic engagement among young people through creative approaches and strengthening civic skills.
Partner
- Coordinator: ASOCIACION CIFAL MALAGA , Spain
- CIEDES , Spain
- IBCM – Public International Business College Mitrovica , Kosovo
- Centro per lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci ETS , Italy
- NEMZETI IFJUSAGI TANACS , Hungary
- Bakcso Természetjaro, Termeszetvedo, Kulturalis es Szabadidosport Egyesulet , Hungary
- CIFAL Flanders , Belgium
- YOUTH POWER GERMANY EV , Germany
- UNITAR , Switzerland
For further information
Contact melisa.bucur@danilodolci.org