Addressing youth issues: CaSYPoT and GaYA exchange of best practices

In the margins of the conference organized to present the cross-border comparative report and take stock of the situation, project managers in charge of the project CaSYPoT had the chance to meet Ms Greta Klotz from the Eurac Research, Bolzano (Italy) and Ms Annalisa Cevasco from the Agenzia di Sviluppo GAL Genovese, Genova (Italy) to evaluate the possibility to set up a concrete collaboration between CaSYPoT and GaYA (Interreg Alpine Space) projects in 2018.

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On December 11-13th CaSYPoT project partners met in the City of Słupsk. The conference saw the participation of delegates representing local and regional bodies, NGOs, universities, cultural associations from Poland, Sweden, Russia, Italy and Lithuania. Welcomed by Mr Robert Biedroń, Mayor of City of Słupsk, and Mr Per Ole Petersen, ERB Vice-President and Member of the Council of Regional Municipality of Bornholm (Denmark), participants gathered for the presentation of the cross-border comparative report and analyse its results as well as to evaluate further steps to take in order to address issues related to youth in the Baltic Sea Region.

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Interact has just released a paper entitled “Coordination and cooperation: how?” – Levels of coor_coop_October 2017. The paper is a further step to address inter-programme capacity and how to develop coordination and cooperation. Indeed, the ongoing process of providing programme staff with knowledge and skills aims at enhancing the ability to coordinate and cooperate with other funding sources.

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On 19th September 2017, the ERB Youth Board took part to a face to face reunion in in the margins of the ERB meeting in Palanga (Lithuania).

Turning ten years in 2017, the meeting represented for the YB a chance to set the strategy for the next 10 years and the areas to focus on. Departing from the targets achieved so far, the idea of a formal statute of the YB came to light. The provision would enable the YB to develop a vision and a mission for the future.

As the lack of young people actively engaged in their local communities emerged as the main challenge, few proposal were outlined. Among them, the Youth Exchanges which will take place respectively in Ronne – Denmark (January 2018) and Kalmar – Sweden (June 2018). The first one, entitled Youth 3.0, will be a unique opportunity to assess the impact of IT technologies in daily life; the second one, entitled Youth 4.0, will be focused on the importance of active citizenship as a relevant mean to develop personal skills and create an open-minded environment. Furthermore, a discussion was held about future projects such as the possibility to organize a Youth Exchange aiming at the creation of an artificial island 100% self-sufficient. So far, this project focused on the establishment of a self-sustainable environment has been implemented in French Polynesia.

The meeting was also a good chance to gain more information about the bid of the city of Klaipeda for the European Capital of Youth 2020. Among the 5 shortlisted cities, Klaipeda intends to tackle youth related issues such as unemployment, early school leaving, disenfranchisement creating an environment suitable for creativity, social activism, collaboration, entrepreneurship. In order to strengthen Klaipeda’s campaign, regions and youth councils within the ERB intend to write a letter of support.

Among the participants to the meeting, there was also Domenico Misurelli as an Interreg Voluntary Youth – IVY program. He will be volunteering for 6 months at ERB International Permanent Secretariat helping with the implementation of the CaSYPoT: management, communication, promotion and dissemination of information. The volunteer will also work with the result of a survey among youth making its outcome more visible. As of the CaSYPoT project conference in Slupsk 11th-13th December 2017, the first draft was introduced to the YB. The conference will be also the opportunity to cooperate with the GaYa project (Interreg Alpine Space) which aims at increasing the quality of democracy in the Alpine area by enhancing the capacity of decision and policy-makers to involve youth as future leaders in democratic systems.