This action shall promote a European partnership formed by a transnational network of organizations committed to citizens’ participation and inclusion of groups excluded from decisionmaking processes, such as people of foreign origin and second-generation youths.
The project includes two kinds of bodies:
- Civic organizations of the three concerned countries
- Public bodies
Starting from this network and complementaries between bodies of different kinds, the action will strengthen the participation of young citizens of foreign origin, facilitating their inclusion in the debate on European policies targeted to themselves and on the future of the European Union.
a) Promoting the participation of young citizens of foreign origin, through local activities
b) Strengthen the protagonism of young people of foreign origin in envisaging proposals on public policies that concern themselves and the ‘”European Union they would like”.
c) Strengthening local networks, promoting the inclusion of migrants’ associations in these networks k
d) Enhancing the exchange of experiences and good practices between the three European cities.
The target of the action are young citizens originating from third countries, aged 18-29.
The choice of considering this group was based on the urgency and importance of implementing specific measures targeted to a group often not inclined to take part to public debates and to social commitments, also because they are often victims of discrimination and exclusion, causing indifference and strongly negative attitudes to the European institutions.
In addition to the key role played by the young beneficiaries, the planned meetings shall allow exchanges between public bodies, non-profit organizations and migrants’ associations.
Dialogue shall be supported by sharing good practices existing in the 3 European cities, in a perspective of transnational network sharing experiences from the municipalities and civic organizations in Milan, Barcelona and Lisbon.
Planned activities
The action shall start with a phase of local reflection and debate, then shall propose EU-shared solutions, related to decisionmaking processes and measures adopted by the concerned bodies in the 3 cities.
The project includes the implementation of 3 “grassroots” surveys, carried out by the same youths of foreign origin within their migrant communities, with the aim of assessing public policies and actions targeted to young people of foreign origin from the viewpoint of public and private bodies active on this issue, and to identify proposals from the concerned youths to improve such policies.
3 workshop for structured dialogue shall be organized. Such workshop (one in each city) shall provide a chance for dialogue between youths of foreign origin, representatives of non-profit organizations and public bodies, on how to improve measures for the inclusion of young citizens and the Europe they would like.
The workshops shall be attended by a delegation of European partners (6 people), who shall be involved in the work of shaping tools for young people’s participation.
3 international meeting shall also be organized (one in each city) to analyze in-depth the outcomes of the surveys and workshops and make detailed proposals coming from young people’s representatives, experts in the field, representatives of the civic society, political decisionmakers, with contributions from the other two European cities.
The seminars, will be integrated by public events to involve the young beneficiaries, who shall be protagonist in both the design and implementation phases (video stories, exhibitions, art contests, festivals, etc). A delegation of the European partners (14 people) shall take part to the activities to share good practices existing in the 3 cities.
The project will be concluded with an international workshop in Brussels, aimed to report the results of the project to the EU institutions, in the presence of international stakeholders.
The meeting shall facilitate direct dialogue between the project actors (including representatives of youths of foreign origin) and the major institutions active in the field.
All the news about activities and events of the project By-Me are on this page.