Y.M.D.R.A.B.International Winter Camp “Cultivating youth participation”
Fourteen YMDRAB’s representatives participated in the MIJARC Europe international winter camp “Cultivating youth participation”. The activity took place from 20 to 23 February 2021 and was organized as an international hybrid event with young participants gathering face-to-face in national groups and connecting online with their peers from 10 different countries. The Bulgarian group was brought together in hotel “Gergana” in Hisaria town.
The activity was focused on increasing participants’ knowledge on how to design, plan and manage participatory projects aimed at increasing the level of participation of their peers in decision-making and in policy development about sustainable agriculture at local level.
During the camp the participants were working with the Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life and the “Have your say” manual as tools for reinforcing rural young people’s participation in agriculture. They learnt how to use a step-to-step methodology on planning and managing a youth participatory project in the topic of agriculture. Also, the participants were provided with hands-on training on sustainable agricultural practices supported with real, concrete examples. And most of all, the camp created an opportunity for the young people to design and plan their own participatory youth projects at local and international level and develop an implementation plan.
Of course, there were also fun international evenings. Furthermore, the Bulgarian group took the opportunity to enjoy the warm mineral pools of Hisaria town and to explore some local cultural and historical sites.
This activity is supported by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe.