Young people have power in the local communities. Examples from Poland and North Macedonia

North Macedonia introduced a special law in 2020, the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies. It was a initiative of the Club for Youth Affairs and Policies in the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia. But the genesis of this law is a little longer, from about 15 years ago. Namely, in 2010, the state started a procedure for the adoption of the Youth Law, which was created without consultation with the civil and youth sector. After public backlash, the law was withdrawn. On the initiative of the National Youth Council in 2018, a Youth themed government session was organized. As a conclusion of it was the need to adopt a Law on Youth and for the preparation of which a working group was formed. In 2020, such a law, the Law on Youth Participation and Youth Policies, was adopted by consensus of the political blocs in the RNM Assembly. This was a big step in supporting young people in their activities in public life. One of the main goals of this law is to strengthen youth participation in youth-related policymaking processes by actively informing, promoting and protecting youth interests, as well as by raising the awareness of the importance of the youth and their societal role. This law also strengthened the position of local youth councils and outlined a wider range of instruments that can be used to support young people in local politics. The entire process of introducing the law was supported by the National Youth Council of Macedonia which was an important social stakeholder in the creation of the law. This organization is an example of an efficiently functioning youth organization that has a real impact on the highest levels of government and, thanks to its activities, has a direct impact on decision-making. It is worth paying attention to the activities of the National Youth Council of Macedonia (NYCM), which helps to develop youth participation in North Macedonia. The organization has many success stories behind it – among others, support for Local Youth Councils, which, at the lowest levels of local government, influence local politics. One example of an action is the “Youth-inclusive Local Communities” project. “The main goal of the project is to engage youth CSOs to support their local communities, utilize the existing mechanisms to participate in local policy and decision-making processes addressing their needs and the needs of their constituents. The main activities of the project are: strengthening the capacities of youth organizations and local youth councils through a series of workshops, monitoring the implementation of the Law on Youth Participation and Youth, assessing the inclusiveness of youth in local self-governments in North Macedonia, producing policy recommendations, and supporting youth advocacy initiatives that increase the youth participation in public policy.” This huge move towards institutionalized youth participation applied all ethnolinguistic communities of Macedonia. This right is extremely important in the context of social inclusion for all Macedonians regardless of cultural or ethnic differences. What is more, it can be an influential instrument towards integration, cooperation of different groups.

In Poland, young people can get involved in local youth councils at the institutional level. Of course, these are not the only methods of participation, because young people can be active in the entire spectrum of their social lives at the public, social and individual level. However, the Commune Council is a great instrument for young people interested in participating in local politics, including those who do not yet have active and passive voting rights. Within this council(?), youth councilors can organize many projects with the support of local government. This is an opportunity to learn, acquire civic competences and learn how the social world works. One of the instruments used by young people are debates or conferences both in schools and in their local communities. An extremely important function of youth councils is also to consult and give opinions on decisions of local authorities, and such voices are also valuable in even influencing the civic budget. In Poland, young people can also be involved in Intergenerational Dialogue Councils in which activities such as training or integration campaigns for young people with seniors are encouraged. What are the benefits of cooperation between young people and seniors? First of all these dialogues provide a change of perspective and a means of noticing the needs of the latter group, even if the views imparted are not always shared or agreed upon. Young people bring their enthusiasm to the Council for Dialogue, and older people bring their experience. It is important for both groups to verify each other's ideas and work out conclusions together. According to Patryk Filarowski, Chairman of the Council for Dialogue, former chairman of the Youth Council, “Cooperation teaches respect and partnership.”

The preamble to the European Charter on Youth Participation states that: "Local and regional communities, which are the closest authorities for young people, play a very important role in promoting their participation." In fulfilling this role, they can ensure that young people are not only well informed about democracy and nationality, but also enable them to participate concretely in them. Only a genuine recognition of young people’s freedom and subjectivity can produce real results. If we want to have a truly democratic society, we must start by giving a voice to those whose voice has often been taken away. Who have not been listened to and respected enough. Young people don’t want façade regulations and institutions – they want to be genuinely involved in things that are important and needed by society as a whole.