Program: Visegrad Fund – V4 Mini-Grant
Project Leader: Association Reflections on Europe
Duration: June 2024 – December 2024
Partners: Slovakia – Mladiinfo Dolný Kubín
Project description: This project is focusing on shaping democratic youth society based on ours good practices used in Poland and Slovakia. Through a series of activities, young people will learn what democratic values are and how they are affecting their lives. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with democratic authorities, learn the importance of different opinions and ways of debating. The aim is also to enhance understanding, create dialogue, and inspire future leaders.
Project goals:
- Increasing the awareness of young people;
- Spreading democratic values;
- Intercultural integration;
- Exchange of experiences and perspectives related to democracy.
Main activities:
- Competitions on the TikTok platform, showing what democracy is for young people;
- Study visits to Slovakia and Poland
- Youth Democracy Festivals (Polish and Slovak editions);
- Oxford debates;
- Interviews with local residents on the importance of democracy;
- Creation of podcasts presenting the results of the project.
1. Competition on the TikTok platform
We come to you with a competition to win a study visit to Dolny Kubin!
The task of the competition is to make a short video (the so-called TikTok) that answers the question”What democracy means for you?”
- The video can be recorded with any device and must last a maximum of 1 minute.
- The form of the video is free, so please be creative!
- The video can use the filters and soundtracks available on the TikTok platform.
- The film must be recorded in English.
- The recordings together with the necessary documents (attachments) should be submitted via email (scans, file link, attachment, etc.) to kontakt@rozprawy.eu by 21.06.2024 at 15.00.
The 3 best entries will be published on our TikTok account!
The first place prize is a study visit to Dolný Kubin (Slovakia), which will take place from 11-14 July 2024.
The aim of the competition is to disseminate information on democratic values and to raise awareness of democratic values among young people.
2. Study visit to Slovakia
On 11-14 July we took part in the first meeting of the Youth Democratic Festival project, which took place in Dolný Kubín, Slovakia. The theme of our visit was democracy – what it gives us, what its advantages and disadvantages are and how we ourselves perceive it.
The first day started with a visit to the town hall, where we talked about youth politics together with the mayor. We talked about our activities, ways to work effectively with young people and exchanged our experiences. After a commemorative photo, it was time for a bit of sightseeing, where we learnt about the city’s rich history and highlights during a walking tour of Lower Kubin. The culmination of the day was an Oxford debate. Two teams took part – Polish and Slovakian. They debated the issue of lowering the voting age to 15. What would be the consequences of this, what opportunities it would give young people and whether they were at all ready for such a change. Although both sides did very well, the debate ultimately ended with the Polish team winning.
We spent the next day just as intensively as the previous one. It was time for the Youth Democratic Festival, as part of which we organised outdoor workshops. During the festival, we were accompanied by a representative of the International Visegrad Fund, who told us what opportunities the Fund offers to young people. The event started with a street poll we conducted among the residents of Dolny Kubin. The question we asked them coincided with the topic of the earlier debate. The answers were really varied, full of people supporting both the first and the second side, presenting new arguments for or against. After summarising the answers, we proceeded to work in groups, where together we discussed youth policy, the challenges it poses and ideas for new activities. This resulted in as many as four mind maps! The final element of the event was a group discussion. Together we answered controversial questions about democracy. Is it fair? Should there be an upper age limit for voting and, is it safe to vote online? These are just some of them. We ended the day with a visit to the local youth club, a place where young people from Lower Kubin spend their free time. We found out how it was founded and developed and the idea behind it. Then, together with a delegation from Slovakia, we had a nice time talking and singing karaoke.
We could not have imagined a better start to the project than our visit to Dolný Kubín! We are motivated, inspired and ready to move forward. We are looking forward to a return visit to Starachowice. Stay tuned and see you there!