Project summary
Starting from the idea that young people are the driving force of society, able to influence decision-making processes and shape the future of their reality, from local to the global level, this project aims to foster the potential of young people to be active citizens and actors of real social change in their local communities. The project focuses on the quality of youth work at the international level in terms of analyzing and increasing the capacities and possibilities of youth workers from civil society organizations and municipalities to engage young people in decision-making processes at the local level through local youth councils and equipping young people with the skills and competencies for quality participation.

This is a project with an international scope as it involves organizations from six different European and South Mediterranean countries, but with a solid focus on the local level.

The concept of the project is based on local youth councils as the most common and widespread spaces and established structures for youth participation in decision-making processes at the local level. Our approach is to help establish local youth councils in South Mediterranean countries (Tunisia, Morocco, Palestine) and improve existing structures of local youth councils in European ones (Italy, Portugal and North Macedonia) in at least one municipality in each of the participating countries by building capacities of youth workers and youth leaders from the participating organizations and their respective local authorities

The advisory group of the project LYCIS
“The consortium will establish an advisory group comprised of youth work professionals from the participating countries, which work closely with local youth councils and have different, but complementing experience in the field of Youth Participation, Advocacy, Framework of local Youth Councils, Digital  Transformation,  Youth Policy development, cooperation with local authorities, etc).

The advisory group should involve researchers delegated by the consortium responsible for developing the intellectual outputs, as well as youth workers, young people and delegates from youth councils, who will be involved in consulting and advising on the development of intellectual outputs.”

Profile of the advisors:

• Intermediate English level;

• Experience in Local Youth Councils or similar participatory structures: current or former members of LYCs, individuals who have contributed in the establishment of LYCs, municipalities representatives who are engaged in LYCs; individuals with proven knowledge about Youth Participation in decision-making processes;

• Availability for the whole project lifetime (until spring 2024, ideally, for up to 4 online meetings per year)

Practical mission

The advisory group is invited to give suggestions and feedback on the outputs of the project. The advisors will be consulted on already available data or material, including draft versions of the planned outputs.

The advisory group, as a whole, is going to meet every 3/4 months (following decisions by the consortium and current needs).
Each online meeting shall last around 2 hours, including work in smaller groups, pairs and exchanges in plenary and 1 technical break.

Benefits for the advisory group members

• Individual visibility and media recognition of their contribution to the published materials, on social media and during local and international events;

• Great opportunity for networking at the national and international level with fellow advisors, in a unique partnership involving 3 European countries and 3 countries from the South Mediterranean, with several follow-up opportunities;

• Possibility to participate in one or more of the project activities, including the job shadowing mobility (2 weeks) that is planned in 2023 (in hosting and in sending);

• For those advisors residing in one of the 6 countries partners of this project, an official invitation to local seminars and to the final international conference (taking place in Italy in early 2024) will be issued;

• Accessing other international opportunities promoted by project partners and DYPALL Network in the field of youth participation (funded by the Erasmus+ program and/or the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe);

• Official recognition and thank you letter issued by the project coordinator (DYPALL Network);

• An acknowledgment package will be directly shipped to the advisory group members after the 2nd online meeting.