Youth dialogue in action at the workshop on the European Youth Goal:
To enable and ensure social inclusion for all young people
The wannseeFORUM Foundation, the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Children's and Youth Parliament, and the EU Youth Dialogue have long been closely linked. Young people from Berlin were able to contribute to the development of the EU Youth Goals through the youthFORUM we organized.
Today, the implementation of these youth goals is the focus of the EU Youth Dialogue. At the end of October, around 45 committed young people from Poland, Greece, Slovakia, and Germany met at the wannseeFORUM to discuss the third youth goal: inclusion for all young peoplesocial . The seminar was organized by the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Children's and Youth Parliament, the Institute for European Neighbourhood Management, and the wannseeFORUM Foundation. The latter, along with its cooperation with the Youth Participation Service Center, facilitated a connection to the Academy for Children's and Youth Parliaments. The participants, delegations from the children's and youth parliaments, used the week to exchange information about their current projects, discuss challenges, and learn from one another. Villa Joerger on Pohlesee provided an international space for young parliamentarians to reflect on their experiences, deepen their knowledge, and jointly develop demands for an inclusive and youth-friendly future. During the exchange, it became clear to all participants once again what an essential instrument for participation children's and youth parliaments are. They not only offer young people the opportunity to make their voices heard, but can also be used by municipalities to actively involve young people in shaping their environment. However, the participants agreed that sufficient financial support is lacking in many places. Without long-term and well-funded structures, for example, the transfer of knowledge between different generations often presents a challenge. A key demand of the group is therefore the creation of permanent positions for the support and coordination of children's and youth parliaments. Such positions could not only ensure continuity and stability, but also introduce young people to their tasks in a targeted way and sustainably strengthen their participation. Another key topic was the increasing importance of media literacy.
A workshop on the topic concluded that a lack of media literacy leads to the increased spread of misinformation and fake news. As a solution, participants proposed a comprehensive media literacy strategy. This should include, among other things, training for teachers, workshops for parents, and the integration of media literacy into school curricula. The goal is to empower young people to critically evaluate information and navigate the digital world safely. The Polish delegation brought a very specific goal with them: to establish a youth center in their hometown of Międzyrzecz. Their mayor traveled specifically for the youth exchange. He strongly supports the project, but funding hurdles need to be overcome. The group developed strategies to advance the realization of the youth center despite the tight financial situation and to gain further support for the project. The final highlight was the closing event at the Zille54 youth center in Charlottenburg. Here, in addition to summarizing the results of the eventful days, the focus was on presentations about the European Youth Goals and the EU Youth Dialogue. With new impetus and stronger networking, the delegations returned to their home countries – ready to implement the insights gained locally and to continue contributing to improving the lives of young people.