Pathway to Change - encouraging active citizenship of young people from Roma community in Bulgaria

The active participation of young people in public life is crucial for the development of European civil society. The path of transformation of young people into responsible citizens is important and young people need support to learn active citizenship, to gain equal access to education, jobs, professional development and careers, etc. Support is especially needed when it comes to young people with fewer opportunities, namely those who come from geographically isolated locations, with economic and social difficulties, from minority backgrounds, refugees, etc.

"Pathway to Change is a project aimed at young people and a successful example of providing support and equal opportunities for active citizenship and equal access to education. The project was implemented thanks to the financial support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union and was successfully implemented within 13 months in the period 1 June 2022 - 30 June 2023.

What goals did we set with our project?
The project aimed to promote the engagement of young people from Roma backgrounds, to empower them to actively participate in policies and initiatives that target them in order to best meet their needs, and to engage these same young people by working together with representatives from local authorities, to work together towards improving access to education, education policies and the promotion of attractive and quality education that engages and involves young people. In addition, the project aimed to promote youth participation in the democratic life of Europe by introducing the functions and role of the European institutions.

What did we change and how did we achieve it?
The change we have achieved has happened through informal learning methods, ensuring equal access for participation, building an inclusive and tolerant environment and not discriminating. The change is visible in the changed attitudes and improved understanding of young people on active citizenship, youth empowerment, the work and role of European institutions, the decision-making process at local, national and European level, etc. The project promoted youth participation with a focus on young people of Roma origin from rural areas, giving them confidence that their voice is important and can be heard, both at local, national and European level. Participants developed important communication, social and personal skills, making them key ambassadors for the local Roma youth community to promote the process of inclusion and active participation at all levels in societal processes.

This change has been achieved through the implementation of activities such as mobility between youth from Bulgaria and Croatia and the implementation of an "Educational Toolkit" on "Steps for Roma participation in policy formulation and decision-making at regional, national and European level"; discussions and roundtables between Roma youth and representatives of authorities at the regional and municipal level; a visit to the European Parliament in Brussels and a meeting with representatives of Roma communities at European level; A simulation of the introduction of policies and practices of regional, national and European level
Finally, an online campaign was organized among Roma communities to disseminate the project results and encourage their participation through empowerment and cooperation.

BULGARIA, Sofia, Krasno Selo District, 6 Koloman StR
Contact: Prosveta_21centiry@abv.bg

Education 21st Century Foundation is a Non-profit Bulgarian public organization engaged in various activities related to education in Bulgaria. The Foundation actively collaborates to improve and promote Bulgarian education and culture, supporting their effective and dynamic development by implementing all good practices and examples established by other and more developed countries.

This release was published on openPR.