Frustration does not solve problems. If you want to bring about change, you need a strategy and the right tools. At the International Lobbying Training in Thessaloniki, young activists and youth workers from nine European countries worked together on precisely this: how can pressing issues be turned into a compelling campaign?
The training is a key component of the Erasmus+ project Youth Voices Rising: Empowering Through Local and EU Advocacy. The concept: European youth organisations from the network of Generation Europe – The Academy are jointly creating structures that support young people in getting involved as experts on their own behalf – specifically where decisions affecting them are made. The consortium partners have now published a comprehensive report that makes their experiences available to the entire Community of Practice.
by Olga Kyriakidou (pdf | 6,2 MB)
Mental Health and Anti-Racism
During the training, participants engaged intensively with strategic planning, political communication and alliance-building. The focus was on practical application: the international teams developed five concrete campaigns.
One group focused on breaking down barriers to mental health care for young people. They worked out strategies for persuading local authorities to fund low-threshold and accessible local counselling services. Another team designed an anti-racism campaign aimed at systematically recording discrimination in schools and establishing reliable reporting structures.
In addition to these two approaches, further detailed concepts were developed, including initiatives to promote inclusive healthcare for all. The report outlines these projects step by step – from problem analysis to targeting specific groups – thereby providing templates that other organisations can adapt for their own work.
Tools for Everyday Work
Overall, the report not only lists project outcomes but also reflects the direct experiences of the young people. A key aspect of the training was the peer-to-peer approach. The concept specifically focused on combining theoretical background knowledge, such as on data analysis, with interactive exercises.
The Path to Local Practice
Within Youth Voices Rising, the international training in Thessaloniki represents an important milestone. Participants are now bringing the knowledge they have acquired back to their respective networks. Furthermore, the training has qualified them to participate in international events as youth delegates. Further steps within the partnership include a Multiplier Training for Local Lobbyists in Bad Liebenzell and Local Lobbying Trainings in all six consortium countries. In this way, a structured grassroots advocacy movement is growing step by step.
We invite all youth work professionals and interested organisations to make use of the report. The methods documented therein for target group analysis, data evaluation and storytelling can be directly applied to your own participatory projects.
The cooperation partnership Youth Voices Rising is co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA can be held responsible for them.