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Description
Lack of awareness of the importance of active citizenship and democratic culture effect young people; young people in Croatia have no access to activities that would enable them to proactively advocate for their views and develop democratic competencies while gaining practical experience in advocacy activities. Goal: to develop democratic competencies and civic awareness among young people as vulnerable group and to include them in participatory decision-making models.
Specific goals:
1: Empower young people (age 15-22) to actively participate in society, emphasizing they are a vulnerable group (R 3.2, 3.3)
2: Expand the reach of debate clubs as a model of civic education (CE), develop civic awareness and democratic competences among young people (R 3.1)
3: Develop a deliberation model for application in Croatian local government units (LGU) and schools and adapt a method of participatory inclusion of vulnerable groups. (R 3.2, 2.2.)
Project activities: training of educators and young volunteers (to conduct debate and deliberation); support the work of debate clubs (on-site and online mentoring, development of online tools for organizing education); training of young deliberation ambassadors and implementation of deliberation activities strengthening the capacity of NGOs, LGUs and educators to implement the CE debate model; development of advocacy materials and program accreditation; translating and adapting materials for debate and deliberation to suit the needs of young people; dissemination conference.
The added value of the Citizens Foundation Iceland is practice and knowledge in using innovations technology for restoring faith in democratic debate and institutions (open state-of-the-art engagement platforms and consultations on how to best plan & execute successful citizen engagement projects). Local partners contribute in development of methodology and communication with local authorities and in facilitation of communication with schools.
Summary of project results
The project "Democratic Vaccination" focused on the issue of insufficient civic engagement among young people. In Croatia, youth are generally reluctant to participate in political processes, distance themselves from social matters, and show declining interest in politics (Ilišin & Spajić Vrkaš, 2015). Young people also tend to have low political competencies and low participation levels, as well as a lack of knowledge about mechanisms of influence (Kovačić & Vrbat, 2014). Based on our work with youth, we developed a model that includes two key steps:
Training and empowering young people for political participation rather than superficial information dissemination, through participation in a debate club or by introducing debate methodology into education. Debate clubs and the use of debate methodology are aimed at engaging disinterested youth who lack the basic knowledge and skills to participate in political processes and take independent action.
Providing young people with the opportunity to practically apply the competencies they have gained. Approaches that offer youth extensive theoretical content, such as information about local, national, and supranational institutions and processes, often fail to enable them to actively use this knowledge in practice. In the context of this project, this involved deliberative activities and later advocacy efforts to implement proposed solutions.
In addition to empowering youth, we recognized the need for further training of educators (in both formal and non-formal education) in the area of active youth participation to expand the reach of the project and the debate methodology to as many communities and individuals as possible.
In the first activity package, "Implementation of the Debate Model of Civic Education and Deliberation," we carried out four activities:
Training of Teachers and Volunteers from Target Counties: Throughout the project, we conducted three cycles of comprehensive training on the debate model of civic education for high school teachers and non-formal education trainers in the Vukovar-Srijem, Brod-Posavina, Sisak-Moslavina, Karlovac, and Šibenik-Knin counties, as well as the City of Zagreb. We also included Virovitica-Podravina, Bjelovar-Bilogora, and Split-Dalmatia counties. The aim of the training was to empower participants to implement the debate model of civic education, thereby enabling young people to engage in solving problems they encounter daily in their communities and to understand what it means to live in a democracy and what is needed for the successful functioning of a civic society. The training successfully concluded with 95 educational professionals from across Croatia. In March 2022, we conducted additional online training titled "How to Implement Online Deliberation" as part of the civic education debate model training for high school teachers and non-formal education trainers. The training was led by Robert Bjarnason from the Citizens Foundation. Fifteen participants successfully completed the two-day training.
Implementation of the Debate Model of Civic Education: Participants of the debate model training implemented the model either through debate clubs in their schools or through regular classes during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 school years. Throughout the year, they received support from HDD mentors who conducted a total of 56 field visits. A group of 9 HDD trainers provided online and on-site mentoring and support to ensure the quality and continuity of activities. We held about 15 meetings at the mentoring team level and approximately 90 meetings with participants of the debate model training.
Deliberation Ambassadors Training: In August 2022, as part of the Summer School of Democracy, we conducted a Deliberation Ambassadors Training. A total of 48 young people from across Croatia participated, and the training was conducted with our support by Robert from our partner organization, Citizens Foundation from Iceland. In August 2023, we conducted Deliberation Ambassadors Training 2 as part of the Summer School of Democracy, focusing on active youth participation in society and the structures that enable this. The training included active youth from all over Croatia, with a particular focus on those who had already participated in project activities to further empower them for continued engagement. Forty-eight people participated in the training. Additionally, field visits by mentors combined support for training participants with conducting training for students, covering both the debate and deliberation aspects of the project. The student training was divided into four interactive blocks. In the first three blocks, we reviewed the steps in thesis analysis: determining the type of thesis and burden of proof, definitions, planning, analysis of the status quo, stakeholder analysis, and strategic positioning in the debate. The final block focused on the topic of active youth participation – what it is, why it is important, the prerequisites and principles of active participation, and how youth can participate actively. Afterwards, students worked in groups on needs analysis and community mapping. We discussed where youth can participate in their local community, what barriers exist for participation, and the major issues in the community affecting youth.
Preparation and Implementation of Deliberations: We organized 24 deliberative events in 19 different local communities, with a total of 1,028 participants. In addition to mostly young participants, the deliberations included school staff, the interested public, associations, and decision-makers (school principals and representatives of local and regional self-government units at the city or county level). Identified problems and proposed solutions varied widely – from youth spaces, activities for leisure time, education quality, public transportation quality, to mental health, youth health and nutrition, etc. In some communities, proposed solutions were quickly implemented (Knin, Vukovar, Vinkovci, Petrinja).
In the "Strengthening the Capacities of CSOs, Local Government Units, and Educators for the Implementation of the Civic Education Debate Model" package, we conducted three activities:
Creation and Distribution of Printed Materials for Deliberations: We produced a handbook for conducting deliberations (including adaptations for vulnerable groups – youth with fewer opportunities, Roma community members, and the elderly) and distributed it during our conferences and live events. Online, the handbook was sent to over 2,000 email addresses and is available on our website.
Creation and Distribution of Printed Materials for the Debate Model of Civic Education: We created a handbook for implementing the debate model of civic education and distributed it during our conferences and live events. Online, the handbook was sent to over 2,000 email addresses and is available on our website.
Creation of Online Tools: We developed a web tool for implementing the debate model of civic education. The tool is available at this link.
In the "Incorporating the Debate Model of Civic Education and Deliberation into the School System, Youth Work System, and CSOs Working with Vulnerable Groups" package, we conducted the following activities:
Evaluation and Accreditation of the DMGOO Curriculum in Combination with the Deliberation Method at the Ministry of Science and Education (MZO): Two curriculum documents were developed, each accompanied by two review documents from leading experts in the field. Due to changes in the project timeline, the accreditation process for the curricula by MZO remains a strategic goal for the post-project phase.
Creation and Distribution of Advocacy Materials for Implementing the Debate Model of Civic Education and Deliberation: Advocacy materials were produced as part of the project. The City Association was responsible for their creation. The materials were distributed during our conferences and live events and are available on our website.
Conference "Debate and Deliberation": At the two-day conference held in Zagreb, the debate model of civic education was presented. Around a hundred participants, including representatives of local and regional self-government units, education experts, CSO representatives, educational staff, and the interested public, were introduced to the project''s results, examples of good practices, methods for fostering a sense of social responsibility, and creating opportunities for youth involvement in community projects and initiatives.
Visits to Examples of Good Practice: Due to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, we postponed this activity several times. We presented examples of good practice at our final conferences.
Participation in Conferences and Gatherings of the City Association: Representatives and staff of local government units presented the debate model of civic education and methods for implementing these activities in their communities.
Presentation at Professional Meetings of Secondary and Primary School Principals: In collaboration with the Croatian Association of Secondary School Principals, we presented the project results and held workshops on replicating project results in new schools, leading to the inclusion of additional schools in the project.
As an added value of the project, we highlight the implementation of additional activities for students in 38 high schools (along with maintaining mentoring meetings with mentored teachers, we held at least one additional training for Democracy Ambassadors in each school), which led to greater participant involvement. We also conducted additional training for teachers both online and offline, as involved teachers expressed a desire for further education in the area of active youth participation. Directly resulting from the project, new projects and collaborations on the theme of active participation of children and youth through the use of debate methodology and deliberation emerged, both in Croatia and in Europe.
The main goal of the project was to develop democratic competencies and civic awareness among young people as a vulnerable group and to involve them in participatory decision-making models. We believe we have fully achieved this goal through the development of two complementary methodological approaches – the debate model of civic education and deliberation adapted to the Croatian context. The key impacts we anticipated for the project have also been realized:
Expansion of Debate Clubs as a Model of Civic Education through Training and Empowerment for Political Participation: The number of young people involved in our activities (a total of 1,512), the number of volunteers working on the project and participating in debate clubs (a total of 514), and the number of newly registered debate clubs across Croatia (21 clubs) are evidence of this impact.
Practical Application of Acquired Knowledge through Adaptation of Deliberation Methods for Youth and Training in Debate Clubs for Peer Deliberation: The number of young people involved in our activities, the number of volunteers working on the project and participating in debate clubs, the number of deliberative events (24) conducted in 19 communities with 1,028 participants, and the solutions implemented after deliberative events demonstrate the achievement of this impact.
The results anticipated by the project were:
Expanding Opportunities and Increasing Youth Participation in Civic Education Programs: We involved a total of 1,512 young people in activities (through participation in debate clubs, deliberative events, or volunteering in project activities). We also further empowered 95 teachers from across Croatia and created new opportunities for involving youth in civic education programs.
Introducing the Debate Model of Civic Education in at Least 20 Schools: We introduced this model in a total of 38 high schools across Croatia.
Strengthening Democratic Culture and Civic Awareness among Youth: Evaluation results after deliberations show that young people have strengthened their awareness and are more prepared for active participation in their communities.
Developing Democratic Competencies among Youth: Evaluation results after deliberations indicate that young people have developed their democratic competencies and are more ready for active community involvement.
Increasing Acceptance of Different Opinions and Experiences and Intercultural Dialogue: Evaluation results after deliberations show that young people have become more accepting of diverse views and experiences and are more engaged in intercultural dialogue.
Increasing Democratic Engagement of Youth through Deliberation Method: By participating in deliberative events, young people were involved in democratic processes within their communities.
Increasing the Number of Volunteers Engaged in Democratic Initiatives in the Local Community: The number of young people in debate clubs increased as a result of the project.
Establishing a System for Youth Involvement in Democratic Processes: We organized a total of 24 deliberative events.
Increasing the Number of Youth Volunteers Involved in CSO Activities and Community: The number of young people in debate clubs increased as a result of the project.
Developing a Culture of Democratic Participation Based on Increased Number of CSOs Using Deliberative Methods: Through conferences and guest appearances organized as part of the project, we gathered CSO representatives to present the method, and included local CSO representatives during deliberative events.
Developing and Presenting a New Method for Citizen Involvement in Decision-Making Processes: At our conferences, which brought together 120 participants, we presented a new method for involving citizens.
Increasing Presence of the Debate Model in Croatian Schools and Greater Student Participation: 80% of participating teachers wish to continue implementing the debate model. The number of educational institutions and CSOs collaborating with HDD to implement the debate model and deliberation is starting to grow without additional project support, indicating a self-sustaining expansion model.
Introduction of a New Civic Education Method and Tool for Student Involvement in Decision-Making Processes: 80% of participating teachers wish to continue with the debate model implementation.
Expansion of the Network of Educational Institutions Implementing DMGOO and Deliberation Elements: We included a total of 38 high schools in the implementation of DMGOO.
Expansion of Methods Developed in This Project within the Croatian Civil Sector: During the project, we developed several new collaborations continuing the implementation of the debate model and/or deliberation in local communities (both in Croatia and internationally).
The project has been recognized as a best practice example at both national and international levels, by donors and the community of practitioners. We have been invited to various events to further present project results and empower colleagues across Croatia and Europe to adopt and adapt the model in their own communities. Additionally, we are currently implementing 5 new projects with different donors who have recognized the value of the methodology developed in the project and financially supported the sustainability of project results and further development of the model. Ultimately, 80% of teachers who participated in the project intend to continue implementing the debate model of civic education (according to the evaluation of the debate model implementation with teachers), which we consider a key success ensuring the sustainability of project results.
Summary of bilateral results
Norwegian partner facilitated communication with schools and recruitment of teachers, participate in the development of recommendations for implementation in schools, review materials and participate in organizing the conference.