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Description
The results of the ‘Diagnoza społeczna’ study indicate that even though 85% young people in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie province are interested in public affairs, the vast majority of them do not engage in them at all. At the same time, our research shows that only 10% are active at NGOs or do volunteer work. Their low involvement results first of all from insufficient soft skills, mostly communication, the lack of the sense of agency and local identity, as well as the lack of leadership qualities with the motivation to mobiles others.We will address this problem by increasing civic engagement and knowledge about democracy among 100 young individuals from grades 4-8 of primary schools in our province. We will run competitions and organise street games giving participants an opportunity to discover their neighbourhood in the context of social activity venues. We will organise workshops on democracy and processes taking place in democratic countries. We will organise meetings with representatives of our partner - Capital Youth Association – an organisation of Liechtenstein that will share with us practices of work with youths in their country. The partner will ensure participation of young people from other EU countries which will create an opportunity for talking about civic engagement and democracy across Europe.Our second partner - Polskie Telewizje Lokalne i Regionalne association – will support us in promoting the project and in running debates for youths, with particular focus on recoding and broadcasting.
Summary of project results
The project aimed at increasing the level of involvement of young people in their communities and raising awareness of democratic values and practices among students. We responded to the need for integration of local community, through activities engaging students and adults.
The project activities aimed at developing specific knowledge, skills and attitudes. We placed emphasis on increasing knowledge of democratic systems, critical thinking and debating skills, as well as developing pro-social attitudes and civic engagement.
An important element of the project was a workshop for children and young people, where we reflected on the concept of democracy, talked about its national, local and school dimensions and its impact on individuals and communities.
We also financially supported 5 initiatives prepared by the project participants so that they could put the knowledge they gained into practice by implementing an action/project with local impact.
One such initiative was a debate on democracy held by pupils from Primary School No. 1 in Elbląg. During the workshop, pupils learned about empowerment and having a real impact on changing reality. The pupils then organised a fair for the animal shelter, during which they sold baked goods, Christmas decorations and handicrafts, which allowed them to raise money to buy food for the animals.
Another activity was the ''Breakfast for an Athlete'' campaign carried out by the pupils of Primary School no. 3. As part of this event, the pupils prepared information posters and a food stall, encouraging the school community to eat healthily.
Primary School No. 19 organised a meeting under the motto ''Inculcate activity'' to promote democratic principles, build national identity and integrate class teams. The meeting ended with a shared meal.
Community debates and panel discussions were also an important part of the project we carried out. Topics of the debates included the role of social media in democracy, the influence of young people on local politics, the importance of civic education in schools and the challenges of youth participation in elections. The discussions were highly appreciated by participants for the openness and diversity of the viewpoints presented.
The main recipients of the project were school children and young people from primary schools in Elbląg. The activities engaged 141 pupils and 25 educators, who gained new skills and knowledge in civic education. Through workshops, debates and various practical activities, young people learned how to act effectively in a group, take social initiatives and use democratic tools.
Another audiences were parents and community members who participated in events organised by the young people. One example was the Christmas fair, which brought together local residents, allowing for intergenerational integration and support for local initiatives. The families of the students were involved in the preparation of the fair, which increased the sense of community and responsibility for local issues.
As a result of the project, we saw a significant increase in participants'' knowledge of democratic systems and skills related to critical thinking and debating. 85% of participants confirmed a better understanding of how democracy works after the workshop. In addition, they gained practical experience in organising community projects, which influenced their competence in planning and implementing initiatives. The project enabled young people to understand the importance of their participation in democratic processes, which inspired them to become more actively involved in society.
Summary of bilateral results
The cooperation went really well although it was based on the online webinars only due to the high costs of travel. That is a pity we couldn''t travel to Liechtenstein, because we calculated the costs of travel and after lockdown it was impossibly expensive and our budget dedicated for international cooperation couldn''t be extended/increased.