Municipality of Rezekne municipality – member of the international youth participation network DYPALL Network
On 25-27 November 2015, the Rēzeknes of Rezekne in the international DYPALL Network network project was launched at the International Conference on the promotion of local participation in a democratic Europe (Reinforcing Local participation for a Democratic Europe) on 25-27 November 2015.
THE DYPALL Network (Delevoping Youth participation at Local Level) is a network that currently involves 22 European partner organisations and municipalities (including the municipality of Rezekne) from 17 countries, which aim to involve young people in the decision-making process at local and regional level, as well as to increase the competences of youth workers and local government officials with youth. IN THE composition of THE DYPALL Network 5 countries (Portugal, Macedonia, Netherlands, Turkey, Latvia), Latvia is represented by Iveta Balzer, who emphasizes that the “bridge” of cooperation between local government and young people is formed by youth workers and, if they have the necessary competences and knowledge in the field of youth policy, it contributes to the participation of young people not only in the implementation of local government activities but also in structured dialogue and decision-making processes. It is therefore important to educate both young people and youth workers and local government specialists about participation issues and THE DYPALL Network projects offer this opportunity.
THE DYPALL Network network with the support of the Council of Europe Youth Affairs, on 10-15 October of that year in Strasbourg (France), the European Youth Centre, organised the training of youth workers, municipal officials and young people involved in the first network, “transferring Positive Practices of Democratic Youth participation Models from the Local Level”, on the instruments used to promote youth participation at local level in the regions of different countries. These training also included representatives of the Rēzekne municipality, as well as training participants (Daniela Lozda, Maltas secondary school students), as well as as organisers (Leila Rasima, Ozolaines parish youth affairs specialist), with not only the experience of youth work, which would be useful to convince young people that involvement in the decision-making process at local level was essential, but also new co-operation partners were acquired in the development OF future ERASMUS + pilot projects.
One of these pilot projects is THE ERASMUS + Youth Mobility Programme “Youth actors in Decision Making”, which, thanks to the support of the Youth International Programme Agency, will be implemented in cooperation with THE DYPALL Network network on 7-13 January 2017 in Rezekne District, together with 13 youth organisations, youth leaders, youth workers and local government representatives from 9 countries to learn and jointly develop new methods and tools for the creation of young social groups in decision-making processes.
Jānis Šaudins,
Rezekne municipality's youth affairs specialist
