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Description
‘Local Climate – Youth Strategy’ is a pilot program that combines the potential and commitment of young people (environmental activists) with the growing readiness of local governments to discuss climate change in order to develop local environmental strategies in a participatory way. The programme covers four local governments and a regional (provincial) level. Within the project working groups will be appointed consisting of young activists as well as representatives of local authorities and NGOs. On the basis of a local diagnosis, consultations with specialists and a series of meetings, the groups will develop catalogues of recommendations being starting points for local strategies. An element of the process will be social consultations conducted at the level of individual local communities and an accompanying campaign highlighting the importance of actions for environmental protection and sustainable development as well as civic involvement. A study visit, organised in partnership with NGO Terram Pacis from Oslo, an organisation experienced in the delivery of environmental education and sustainable development programmes, will serve to exchange experience and inspiration. The project will be concluded by a series of local initiatives that will be the first step in implementing the strategy.
Summary of project results
The project responded to the following needs and challenges:
1. The need to increase the involvement of young people in matters that concern them and the decision-making process in this regard
For years, the Opole Voivodeship has been a region with one of the lowest percentages of young people''s activity (in youth councils, through youth initiatives and organizations). The project was therefore intended to increase the activity of young people in decision-making processes and public life.
2. The need to develop activities to promote environmental and climate protection at the local level in the province. Opole Province
The issues of ecology and insufficient actions in this area were those highlighted by the young people themselves - in research for the regional youth strategy or during debates and workshops. The project was intended to give them the opportunity to take their own actions in response to this challenge.
3. The need to strengthen cooperation tools between local governments and citizens in shaping public policies, with particular emphasis on youth
Citizens'' participation in public consultations in the region is very limited, and in the case of young people, it was practically non-existent. Therefore, we wanted to show young people the possibilities and develop the habit of participating in decision-making processes.
4. The need to increase the knowledge of young activists in the field of civic activity tools, access to public activity, contacts with public administration units, cooperation with local government
Young people''s low civic engagement is partly due to a lack of knowledge about existing opportunities. Therefore, the project was intended to promote various possible paths of activity and cooperation at the local level.
We carried out the following activities:
- workshops for young pro-ecological activists,
- creation and work in 5 working teams - 4 local and 1 regional - during a series of meetings,
- preparation in a participatory formula (desk research, local diagnoses, consultations) of a set of recommendations regarding ecological issues in the region,
- study visit of young activists to Norway,
- social campaign on pro-ecological topics,
- a series of local initiatives carried out by young activists.
The following products were produced as part of the project:
- organizing 1 training for young activists,
- conducting 5 local diagnoses - desk research,
- conducting 5 public consultations on local strategies for pro-ecological activities,
- organizing 1 social campaign promoting pro-ecological activities at the local level,
- development of 5 sets of recommendations - starting assumptions for local pro-ecological strategies,
- carrying out 5 local pro-ecological initiatives (including one - provincial - consisting of 2 different activities).
The activities carried out allowed for achieving the following results:
- training and improving the knowledge of 15 young activists trained in the tools of civic participation, conducting ecological education and social campaigns - the effects of the acquired knowledge and skills could be verified and checked during further activities - development of recommendations by young people, implementation of initiatives
- involvement of 250 participants in local consultations involved in the creation of public policies in the field of environmental policy - pro-ecological strategies at the local level - over 250 people took part in the consultations on the assumptions of the strategy, organized by young people, who submitted proposals for improvements, perceived problems, and demands for solutions, while learning (as the consultations were mainly attended by young people) what consultations are and why they are important,
- 5 local coalitions to create local pro-ecological strategies, involving 50 people in participatory processes. - teams were created connecting young people, representatives of offices and local organizations to develop assumptions, recommendations and postulates,
- over 2,000 people - recipients of the social campaign - interested in issues related to environmental protection and implementing activities at the local level in this regard - and we count here people who not only passively displayed the materials, but also watched them or reacted - that is, people whose We managed to draw attention to ecological issues
Summary of bilateral results
The main element of bilateral cooperation was a study visit for young ecological activists and a partner meeting for the association''s staff. Partnership cooperation allowed for the exchange of experiences, learning about good practices from the scout organization and alternative approaches to working with youth, and gaining a broader perspective on ecological issues (in terms of sustainable development and human rights). The partner''s inspirations and good practices regarding the approach to working with sustainable development issues were particularly valuable to us. In its work, the partner organization combines this topic with human rights, which for us as an organization, but also for our recipients, has allowed us to significantly broaden our horizons and look at our work and contemporary challenges from a different perspective. We have also planned opportunities for cooperation, including the implementation of further projects for the future (mainly youth projects) - hence we also hope for the possibility of its continuation.