Active Citizenship: Enhancing political participation of migrant youth (ACCESS)

The ACCESS project aims to empower migrant youth to become politically active citizens on a local, national and EU-wide level and to be able to better contribute to the formulation of policies. Through peer reviews of policies and practices in ACCESS project countries, the project provides concrete advice and tools to policy-makers on involving young people ideas and concerns in decision-making.

In the context of this project, political participation of youth doesn’t only include participation in electoral processes but consists of a more comprehensive approach engaging all young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of all policies which affect them. Active political participation may entail taking part in e.g. local municipalities’ youth parliaments, lobbying, providing feedback to decision-makers and voluntary involvement such as neighbourhood committees and associations.

This multi-stakeholder project is co-funded by the European Commission and implemented in cooperation with youth organizations and institutional partners in the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Romania and Spain. The project started on December 2013 and last until May 2015.

 

Activities

The project aims to promote full participation and the social inclusion of young people by:

  • Capacity building of migrant youth on political participation

The activities will empower and enable youth to gain knowledge and skills as well as to build networks in order to foster their and their peers’ active citizenship, political participation and European identity within and beyond the project.

  • Strengthening municipalities to work towards more profound involvement of migrant youth

This component will provide opportunities for municipalities to assess and improve their policies and practices involving all youth in decision-making processes on local level, which is usually the most accessible level of engagement.

  • Awareness-raising and building of networks

Building on the above activities and their outcomes, the project will raise awareness on the importance of political participation and active citizenship of migrant youth among relevant stakeholders and publics at large.

 

Partners

The ACCESS project is managed by IOM Helsinki with support from IOM offices in Prague, Marseille, Barcelona and Bucharest.

 

Participating/implementing organisations:
Finland

  • Youth Department, City of Helsinki
  • Finnish Youth Cooperation – Allianssi
  • Ministry of Justice
  • Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations, Ministry of Interior

Romania

  • Municipality of Cluj Napoca
  • Romanian Youth Council

 

Czech Republic

  • The Integration Centre Prague
  • Municipality District Prague 14
  • Municipality District Prague 3

 

France

  • City of Marseille

 

Spain

  • Youth Council, City of Barcelona

 

Donors

European Commission:

  • Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals, Community Actions 2012

 

Finland

  • Youth Department, City of Helsinki
  • Ministry of Justice
  • Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations, Ministry of Interior

 

Czech Republic

  • The Integration Centre Prague
  • Municipality District Prague 14

 

Spain

  • Youth Council, City of Barcelona