On 6th June 2022 the Young Generation Dialogue Forum was held in Elbląg, with the participation of over 30 people – representatives of Youth Councils together with their guardians, who operate in the member self-governments of the Association from: Elbląg, Malbork, Nowe Miasto Lubawskie and Dzierzgoń.
The organizer of the event was the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic.
The aim of this event was to integrate the community of Youth Local Government Councils, exchange experiences, search for inspiration for youth activities for the benefit of young people and establish cooperation with Youth Councils.
Along with the agenda of the Forum, participants of the event received 2 handbooks created as part of the INDIGISE project – “Manual – how to stimulate social entrepreneurship using non-formal and informal learning methods” and “Social Enterpreneurship Methodology Handbook”.
Participants of the event were introduced to the activities of the Youth Councils, their goals and directions of activities. Hosts of the meeting also presented the assumptions of the INDIGISE project, sources of financing, project partnership, activities carried out in Poland, and in other countries. Furthermore, the candidate for a member of the ERB Youth Board, Dawid Jędrzejewski, shared the results of the participation of young representatives of the Councils in the “International Social Entrepreneurship Camp” that was first held in Klaipeda on 9-11th May 2022, and later on 13-14th May, online. He also presented a website dedicated to the social entrepreneurship, aimed at serving young people, which was created within another project and is being developed as part of INDIGISE project.
The special guest of the Forum was Ms Joanna Glezman, Head of the Department for Social Dialogue and Public Benefit of the Marshal’s Office of the Warmia and Mazuria Region, together with Ms Maja Świtkowska from the same Department.
Ms Joanna Glezman introduced the participants to many interesting youth oriented initiatives and projects undertaken by Warmia and Mazuria Region since 2015, such as “Local system of supporting youth initiatives” or “We act for the benefit of local communities“, the assumption of which is to create and strengthen conditions for the development of creative potential, civic activity and competences of young people, developing intergenerational cooperation, building local coalitions and partnerships, and also supporting initiatives developed by young people. Furthermore, Ms Joanna Glezman also discussed projects for young people, indicated the most active areas, discussed the assumptions of the working group established by a Resolution of the Board of the Warmia and Masuria Region “Strengthening the creative potential, civic activity and social competences of young people”, and many other initiatives for young people, such as the annual Youth Forum of Warmia and Mazuria Region, during which the problems faced by youth and their needs are discussed. Ms Glezman also invited the participants to the next Youth Forum of Warmia and Mazuria Region which will be held on 10th June 2022.
The Young Generation Dialogue Forum was combined with thematic workshops aimed at shaping innovative, entrepreneurial and participatory attitudes and thinking of young people. This part also included a discussion panel on the needs of youth, the environment in which they live, their social activity, and setting directions for action. The entire part was conducted by the CIVIS POLONUS Foundation from Warsaw.
Forum participants also had a chance to learn about the good practices withinn the activities undertaken by Youth Councils, cities and counties from different regions of Poland, presented by the Foundation as initiatives or projects that changed the community.
The event has been developed under the INDIGISE project funded by the Erasmus+ programme. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the project coordinator and may not always reflect the views of the European Commission or the National Agency.