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| “Nothing about us, without us. Practice tool”, awarded by the Council of Europe | |
Area : Participation |
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| Country : UKRAINE | Location : Odessa |
| Who implemented the activity : |
| Youth City Council of Odessa.Most key-bullets for understanding our example: • 2003, Vadim Georgiyenko, chairman of NGO “Our Children”, created the municipal model of youth policy (MMYP), as practice mechanism for implementation of the REC, based on own 16 years experience. There are next steps of MMYP realization: • 2004, creation of Youth City Council of Odessa (YCC), including 2 chambers: Senate and NGOs-chamber. 52 Members of Senate was elected by 100 000 young people by direct voting at 240 district pulls by bulletins. NGOs-chamber unites 25 the most effective local NGOs, which work with youth. • 2005, YCC provided advocacy campaign to make MMYP as official youth policy of self-government in Odessa. In November 2005, session of Odessa’s city council approved Conception of development of youth participation in solving community’s problems “Youth Community” till 2015. From that time MMYP is official youth policy in Odessa. |
| Aims / Objectives : |
| Aim. To provide realization of the Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life (the REC) in Odessa within the “All Different – All Equal” European Youth Campaign for Diversity, Human Rights and Participation by Youth City Council of Odessa. Objectives: 1) to stop authoritative management in official youth policy; 2) to create necessary conditions for youth policy and its management, based on the REC.Description of problem: Ukraine is a post-soviet country. At least there are 3 generations formed in the Soviet Union. The most part of Ukraine was part of Russian Empire before the USSR. There are no traditions or culture of democracy in Ukrainian society during hundreds of years. This is important for understanding mentality of people: there is big difference from Ukraine and even countries of eastern Europe. Authoritarianism is not just style of work in government or self-governments, it is mentality’s character. As a result, the most part of officials cannot really work with public opinion. This is very important for understanding real conditions and how much efforts needs for real democracy changes. The REC’s preamble says that the active participation of young people in decisions and actions at local and regional level is essential if we are to build more democratic, inclusive and prosperous societies. The most important document, which defines realization of youth policy and financing from local budget have to be city program for youth. There were none such program in Odessa during independence of Ukraine (since 1991). YCC in collaboration with different experts made 2 drafts of such program: first was based on Millennium Development Goals, second was based on the REC. Every proposal was blocked by local officials. Youth efforts and rising of public attention to this situation pressed head of youth department of City Council to create own draft of city program at the first half of 2006, ignoring youth recommendations and opinions. At the same time, this official ignored the decision of City Council, in particular – principles and rules of the Concept “ Youth Community”. But youth was not so easy manipulated or pressed any more: 1) they was united in the independent YCC, supported by thousands of youth: 2) YCC lobbied “youth veto” in the Concept, approved by City Council! “Youth Veto” means that every draft of decision of City Council, which influence on life of youth, has to be previously approved at session of the YCC! Youth experts had a lot of remarks and proposals to the draft of program by official. The most important groups of them are: 1) the draft ignored all rules of the Concept and created a basis for authoritative management in youth policy; 2) there were no criteria with indicators for evaluation program’s results and changes in youth environment after its realization. Differently, youth experts afraid that official would like to take finance from local budget for solving youth problems, but don’t won’t to be responsible for effectiveness of own activities. The head of youth department ignored negotiations, recommendations and remarks and going to include his draft of program to the agenda of session of city council. The conflict between old-style authoritative management and new democracy increased and became inevitable. |
| Short description : |
| Description of the project and its outcomes: There were no more cities in Ukraine (and not only), where youth has “youth veto” de jure. But even in Odessa youth never use it de facto. It was necessary for youth in Odessa to show big resoluteness to achieve this right. However, in view of historical traditions of authoritarianism and local mentality, were required huge boldness to take advantage of this right de facto. There are some main periods of the project: 1. Brain storming, team building and plan-making. Outcomes. The YCC created small working group with the aim to correct program. For the most flexibility, the YCC gave this group right to negotiate and to agree program from the name of the YCC. 2. During 6 months (till January 2007) working group defined key-persons, provided some successful negotiations with members of City Council and explained main problems of the draft. At the same time the YCC used “youth veto”. Outcomes. The head of youth department 3 times tried to include the draft to agenda, and every time it was withdrawn from project of city council session’s agenda. Finally, the Major of Odessa, Mr. Gurvitz changed the head of the department. 3. During 1 month working group had rather complicated negotiations with new head of youth department as for changing of the draft. Positive results already fixed in the draft, the most disputable questions were freeze till final discussion with youth commission of City Council. Outcomes. More then half of the draft was changed by youth recommendation, including financing. The most important that the draft of program was not ignore the Concept and its rules any more, and became more responsible. The YCC stopped blocking the draft, and in April 2007 City Council approved first city program for youth since independence of Ukraine. And we did very important precedent for all youth leaders of Ukraine! 4. Practice realization of the youth program. This document was a compromise and is not ideal, but its realization gave good opportunities to prepare good base for the next implementation of the REC. Outcomes. According the program, the municipal system of criteria and indicators, which allow evaluating implementation of the REC in Odessa, was created in June 2007. 5. All activities in youth policy of Odessa, allowed Major of Odessa, Mr. Gurvitz, to initiate in Strasburg providing International Conference in Odessa with section on youth policy. Outcomes. At the 3rd International Conference on Inter-regional Co-operation in the Black Sea Basin (25-26 June 2007) participants decided to consider MMYP as modern and innovative mechanism of the REC implementation and initiate special research and report on the 15th Congress of the Council of Europe plenary session and other important initiatives. |
| Further informations : |
| you may contact with Vadym Georgiyenko for details (see expert database of European Knowledge Centre for Youth Policy) |
| Date : 22.04.2008 |
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