Activity objectives

Aims and Objectives

The training course aims to:

• Increase understanding of barriers to democratic participation faced by young people with fewer opportunities;
• Explore and practice concrete tools and methodologies for addressing barriers and working on democratic participation with diverse groups
• Create peer learning and international exchange among youth work practitioners

This training course is part of a long-term project on inclusive democratic participation, therefore participants are expected not only to benefit individually, but to contribute to the broader, long-term impact of this initiative. After the course, participants are expected to integrate inclusive participation approaches into their ongoing youth work practice and transfer and adapt the tools and methodologies within their organisations and local contexts.

Themes

This training course builds on a webinar series (February–May 2026) exploring obstacles faced by young people with fewer opportunities in democratic participation, and presenting good practices and strategies to foster inclusion, specifically when it comes to:

• Involvement in decision-making of young people in and after alternative care 
• Civic and political participation of rural young people
• Poverty, socio-economic background and its effect on democratic participation
• Democratic participation methodologies with and for neurodivergent young people and young people with intellectual disabilities

Priority will be given to applicants who work with these target groups and/or have participated in the webinar series.

Note: this is not a basic project/activity/event management course or a partnership-building activity. The focus will be on developing competences and skills.

Description

Background and Rationale

Despite the increasing attention to youth participation in democratic processes and decision-making promoted by Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps, many young people with fewer opportunities - due to social, economic, cultural, geographical, or educational barriers - remain underrepresented and unheard. 

For example, as indicated by the YPS monitoring (Dr. Dan Moxon, YPS Steering group, 2024), between 2021 and 2023, only 9.8% of participants in E+ Youth projects with participation themes were young people with fewer opportunities (YPFO) (considerably lower than the 30% of estimated participants in E+ Youth KA1 activities who are YPFO). 

Youth workers, educators, and trainers are key actors in supporting these young people, but they often lack practical tools and knowledge to address the specific challenges these youth face when engaging in democratic life.

This training course is part of a long-term project organised by SALTO Inclusion & Diversity and SALTO Participation & Information, which aims to strengthen competences to design and facilitate inclusive, accessible, and meaningful democratic participation processes with diverse groups of young people.

What do we mean by democratic participation?

The Youth Participation Strategy defines Democratic Participation as: Individual young people and groups of young people having the right, the means, the space, the opportunity and, where necessary, the support to freely express their views, contribute to and influence societal decision making on matters affecting them, and be active within the democratic and civic life of our communities. 

In simple terms that can mean: all the ways young people can influence decisions and shape the communities they live in. 

Democratic participation goes far beyond voting. In youth work, it can also mean:

• Co-designing projects and activities
• Participating in youth councils or consultations
• Engaging in advocacy and community campaigns
• Using digital tools, storytelling or arts to express views
• Taking part in civic dialogue with decision-makers
• Contributing to participatory budgeting or shared governance in organisations

Democratic participation also happens in everyday youth work practice - when young people help set group rules, share decision-making power, and reflect critically on issues affecting their lives.