Youth Empowered To Change The World

Title: ‘YECW’ – Youth Empowered To Change The World
Date: Jan 2022 to Dec 2023
Location: Serbia, Italy, Lithuania, Jordan, Tunisia and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Donor: European Union

Youth Empowered to Change the World (YECW) is a new 24-month project implemented by six partners from Serbia, Italy, Lithuania, Jordan, Tunisia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It aims to empower young people to be social catalysts of change in their communities and enhance their participation level in the societies in which they live.

The project will promote young people’s sociopolitical development and psychological empowerment by providing them with concrete knowledge, tools, and the Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology. PAR is a research approach that involves community members in all stages of the research process, from identifying the problem to designing and implementing solutions.

By applying PAR, young people will be able to conduct public advocacy toward decision-makers that lead to potential solutions to problems and their direct or indirect involvement in decision-making processes.

The overall goal of the YECW project is to build the capacity of partner organizations and their members on PAR and foster its use in addressing different community issues and taking concrete actions that lead to social changes.

Specific objectives:

• To develop participants’ understanding of PAR methodology and how it can improve their own and their organizational practices in the field of youth participation and engagement.
• To develop future researchers’ competencies, knowledge, and skills in the PAR process and multiplying PAR methodology.
• To use PAR methodology focusing on pressing issues related to young people: engagement and participation, especially engagement and participation in the decision-making process.
• To promote PAR methodology to support sustained youth participation in democratic life and strengthen youth participation and engagement initiatives.
• To support young people’s socio-political development and psychological empowerment, so that they understand the roots of problems facing their communities, and have the skills and motivation to take PAR action as agents of positive change.

Project components:

Learning about PAR: Participants will learn about PAR methodology and exchange examples of good practices through non-formal education.

Practicing PAR: Participants will practice PAR by taking concrete actions to bring social changes in their local communities.

Establishing local PAR corners: Local PAR corners will be established as youth resource info incubators.

Learn more about 1st peer to peer and 2nd peer to peer local workshops on PAR methodology here

The YECW project is an exciting opportunity for young people to learn new skills, take action on the issues that matter to them, and make a difference in their communities.

The Consortium is comprised of IUVENTA NGO – Serbia, TDM2000 Association – Italy, Jordan Youth Innovation Forum (JYIF) – Jordan, Farhat Hached Institute for Research and Democracy – Tunisia, Local Democracy Agency Mostar – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Global Citizen Academy – Lithuania.