Youth policy co-operation
In 2005 the EU-CoE youth partnership, together with several national and regional partners, initiated a process of youth policy cooperation in the broader Euro-Mediterranean region, with a view to fostering greater cooperation between youth policy stakeholders.
The process of youth policy co-operation has inter alia significantly contributed to the recognition that co-operation among institutions responsible for youth policy (public and private) is essential to intercultural dialogue and to the Euro-Med projects in which young people take part.
Youth policy activities have also, undoubtedly, resulted in an expansion of partnerships and co-operation with a variety of institutions concerned by the empowerment of young people in the MENA region, including the League of Arab States, UNFPA, the World Bank and British Council. In this respect, too, the EU-CoE youth partnership is playing a leading and innovative role.
In reaction to the political changes in their Southern neighbouring countries, both, the European Union and the Council of Europe are strengthening their efforts to support these developments towards democracy. Young people in Egypt, Tunisia and other parts of the South-Mediterranean hold the key to the sustainable and peaceful development of their societies based on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Understanding and taking into account their expectations and needs is crucial for all the institutional stakeholders, such as the League of Arab States, national youth policy authorities and youth organisations. The experience of young people from the Diasporas in Europe and their role in and perception of recent developments can also positively contribute to this process.
The workshop on youth participation and social media
2-4 July 2013, Hammamet (Tunisia)
The workshop on youth participation and social media that brought together 25 participants looked at effective ways of using the potential of social media for youth participation in society nowadays.
Building on the needs assessment done with youth organisations and youth led civil society movements during the last year, this workshop explored both, the added value and the existing constraints of social media use for active youth participation as a means to develop and consolidate inclusive, participatory and pluralistic democracies.
Among the themes tackled during the workshop were: the impact of social media on youth participation, the exchange on relevant tools and practices and the awareness raising on media diversity and ethics.
As an outcome of the workshop, guidelines for the efficient use of social media by youth and civil society organisations were proposed. The workshop was covered instantaneously via social media.
The facebook page of the event is : http://www.facebook.com/YPSMedia
- Guidebook on social media and youth participation
- Report
- Program of the workshop
- List of participants
Presentations :
- Ethics in social media and youth participation :
- Input on Social Media & Privacy (Silvio Heinze, Social Media expert)
- Youth participation and social media from a research point of view
- Input by Robert Thomson, PEYR,
- Input by Sofia Laine, Finnish Youth Research Network,
- Input by Badi Melki, Institut of Applied Science in Humanities, Tunis University)
Further information on the workshop and the 1st Mediterreanean University on Youth and Global Citizenship that included this event, can be found here:
More information about the Mediterranean University on Youth and Global Citizenship
- Mapping of activities related to youth and Arab Spring
- Survey on the evaluation and follow-up of the Euro-Mediterranean Youth Policy Cooperation activities by Ayman Abdul Majeed and Dua'a Qurie (consultants)