Young People and Civic Engagement

A new programme aimed at getting the young generation more involved in society issues

Monica Chiorpec, 22.04.2020, 13:12

Over
February 1st
2019 and January 31st
2020 the ‘Young Initiative’ Association implemented a programme
entitled ‘United We Stand for European Values’. Funded through
the European Solidarity Corps, the project was aimed at developing
critical thinking in young people coming from disadvantaged
environments in the Bucharest – Ilfov region as well as their civic
empowerment through non-formal learning contexts so that they may
become more actively involved in society and in the situations
concerning them. Here is Eliza
Vaş, vice-president of the ‘Young Initiative’ Association with
more on the aforementioned project, drawn up by young people for
young people.

Eliza
Vaş: This
is the first project of this kind implemented by the volunteers of
the ‘Young Initiative’ Association, which we carried out by means
of the funds we got through the European Solidarity Corps. Our goal
was to develop critical thinking in young people from the
Bucharest-Ilfov area and help them get more involved in society. We
mainly addressed young people with ages between 14 and 25,
high-schoolers, students or those interested in non-formal education
contexts. More than 250 young people got involved with the project
during one year of implementation; they participated in 15 events,
such as interactive workshops, debates or decision-making simulations
at the level of European bodies. We even had a board game of
community involvement, which we named ‘United’.

All
the participants in the ‘United
We Stand for European Values’ project were brought together and
guided in every moment of their activity by members of the ‘Young
Initiative’ Association. Nevertheless, the impact of their actions
was being assessed in the end and every participant was able to
understand how important is for an individual to get involved at
community level.

Eliza
Vas: My
role during the project was to be a coach, which means that I was
training in a way or another the team of volunteers. I helped them
develop and put into practice the activities that are part of the
project. To use an illustration from football, I was like a headcoach
standing beside the pitch and watching how the players are putting
into practice the strategy previously discussed. Then we had
locker-room talks about what was good and if there is room for
improvement. The idea is that non-formal education lays very much
emphasis on reflection in the learning process. The people involved
become more aware of the knowledge they get and the abilities they
develop. But most importantly they become aware of the impact they
produced through their activity.

The
project United
We Stand for European Values is first and foremost focusing on the
solidarity and the general overview of the young Romanians as
European citizens. The largest number of debates and workshops were
staged around the European community values. Here is Elena
Şelaru, from the International Relations Department of the ‘Young
Initiative’ Association

Elena
Şelaru:
Practically
we as an organizing team prepared various workshops and debates on
issues of European interest to create a framework to be able to talk
about our rights as European citizens, European values and the
opportunities of European mobility. My involvement in this project
consisted in staging a workshop on circular economy and climate
change for ninth graders of the Technical Energy College in
Bucharest. I got involved in a simulated decision-making process like
those in the European Parliament, during which I acted as a
facilitator. I wanted to make sure my participation was interactive
and that all participants would be able to express their ideas in a
safe environment.

It
is very important for the young people in the Romanian society to
have initiative in their fields of interest. Any idea or small action
can create large-scale projects or activities aimed at improving the
life of the community they are part of. So the team of the ‘Young
Initiative’ Association is encouraging such initiatives as they
themselves are people with initiatives. Here is Elena
Şelaru at the microphone again.

Elena
Selaru:
I
believe that if you have initiative it means that you can think for
yourself and maybe solve some issues or situations other people don’t
think they need to be dealt with. I believe in our time, many people
have initiatives and get involved with the local community. And it is
this involvement that adds the value that makes the difference. And I
am thinking here of my colleagues from the ‘Young Initiative’, as
a lot of projects started from their initiatives.

For
Elena Şelaru, the working experience with the project ‘United
We Stand for European Values’ had a special impact not only at the
professional level. What do the young people who choose to get
involved in suchlike activities gain actually? Well, they are
boosting their self-image.

Elena
Selaru:After
the funds had been approved, I had a short time of training, prepared
the next activities and then started to implement them. Getting
involved with this project was for me a personal accomplishment as I
got a series of skills in the process of staging various activities
and I learnt what assuming responsibility on long term was like.

The
solidarity team of ‘United
We Stand for European Values’
had 8 people (Elena Şelaru, Andrei Dobrea, Cristina Cautiş, Maria
Balea, Simona Baciu, Andreea Boieriu, Dragoş Dănilă, Marius
Ghiţă), six volunteers (Ana Maria Andronache, Maria Baciu, Irina
Dobreanu, Vlăduţ Ene, Claudiu Brotea) and an experienced trainer
with the European projects, Eliza Vaş. (Translated by D.B.)