National rural development network of Slovak republic

Youth councils of Presov Region

Village youth councils of Raslavice

“IF WE WANT TO WALK FORWARD, WE NEED TO LOOK FORWARD!“

What is the Youth Council

of Presov Region?

Independent umbrella NGO for children

and youth civic organizations, youth parliaments,

youth town councils and informal groups

of young people in the region of Presov. Youth council of Presov region is member of National rural

development network of Slovak republic.

The problem of rural youth

Rural youth is treaded as disadvantaged in terms of availability of knowledge, work opportunities, information, internet, spending a free time and low services in following with a low social skills and low confidence. Regarding this problems youth of Raslavice decided to found youth council of Raslavice inspirated by youth councils in the cities.

What is the Village Youth Council?

What the Village Youth Council can do?

What is the role of Village Youth Council members?

What is the Village Youth Council?

Youth self-governing body made up of young people,

village chief and a person responsible for youth issues

(coordinator, supervisor, tutor).

It is an “umbrella” for non-formal youth groups,

children and youth civic associations or other organizations

providing activities for children and young people

in the village.

Next more?

It works as a council body of the village chief. It represents a discussion forum where young people

discuss problems in public and suggestpossible solutions.

Every young person who is registered as a village citizen/resident can become a member of VYC.

The aim of VYC is enable to young people gain experience, which will help them to participate actively in village community “life”.

•

What Village Youth Council can do?

To be a communicational “channel”/”mediator”

between young residents and village chief.

To act as united body of youth in relation

to village leadership.

To discuss (with young people, village chief,

village council/authority representatives)

important issues which young people attempt

to change in the village.

What is the role of VYC members?

To comment substantial questions, suggestions and arrangements of the village, which relate a life of young people.

To investigate/research young peoples’ needs, desires, problems in the village and to suggest solutions and communicate them to

village chief and village council.

What is the role of VYC members?

To participate in projects realization and evaluation,

actively cooperate with the council.

To organize own activities in accordance

with interest and skills of young people

in the village.

What obtain young man when entries to VYC?

By participation on village´s life young people obtain relationship to their place of living. (The young people after graduating secondary school and university return back home.)

They obtain social skills by means of informal education (comunication, team work, project managment, presenation in the public and in the media, advocations, creativity and so on.

How to start?

The important moment at the beginning is the idea/decision to form village youth council (VYC).

The suggestion can arise from:

young people

village chiefor others.

How to continue?

To form an establishing team.

To suggest statute proposal – VYC can operate

as non-formal group or civic association.

To call a founding/establishing meeting

To form realistic plan of activities for the following period

(1 year for example)

A question to think about:

Why do we have senior councils or senior clubs

in every larger village and don´t have youth

council or

youth club is only in few villages?

Propagation youth councile of Raslavice on folclore dance celebrate

Projects It will not be done by itself again The project was carried out by youth council of

presov region information-acitivity campaing for those voting for

the first time towards the participation at local elections in the village

education training for young people discusions with candidates applying for the

mayor´s position and deputies in villages simulated internet elections (16-17 years)

(talkshow-tiefree) financial donour: foundation Intenda.

Projects the statement of local council youth was during

the talkshow tie-free (17.11.2010)

ProjectTheatre performance

We have a moral support but we don´t have a financial support.

ProjectIntergenerational dialogue The main purpose of this project is

to improve comunication between the youth and old people in village.

We want to point the fact that we aren´t all the same. We try to improve relationships between youth and seniours.

Village youth council

=

principal tool for advocacy

and

promotion

of young people´s interests in countryside (rural) areas.

Enough words…

It won’t be done in its own!