Preparation Programme Get ready for the Giant Open Space Metz and Lorraine Team Surveys: Youth participation in EU countries

Youth participation in Italy

Is there a national youth council, representing young people in your country? If yes, please provide the name, number of member organisations and number of young members.

YES, one of Ministry collaboration partner in planning and implementing youth policy is The National Youth Council of Latvia. The National Council of Latvia is an association of youth organizations, founded in 1992 which presently unites 53 youth organizations. The National Youth Council of Latvia represents the viewpoints of the member organizations in various institutions, it makes varied projects on local and regional level, and it continues to work on the national and international level. It has an important role and it actively participates in youth policy on national and international level. The National Youth Council of Latvia is an active partner to various state administration institutions.

Is there a ministry dealing concretely with the youth affairs in your country? If yes, please provide the name of the ministry.

YES, Minister for Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia

Does the government in your country has a specific youth policy/youth strategy?

YES

From what age are young people allowed to vote in the elections? If different age for different elections (parliamentary, local, regional, etc.), please specify.

From what age are young people allowed to be elected in the elections to the representative bodies? If different age for different elections (parliamentary, local, regional, etc.), please specify.

Are there any youth participation initiatives at the local level (in municipalities), e.g. local youth parliaments/youth councils, meetings of young people with decision-makers? Please describe.

There are meeting with deputies before the elections. Some youngsters participate in different projects which are related to youth and municipality contacts.

Are there youth participation/decision-making bodies at schools, e.g. school parliaments, student councils, etc.? Please describe.

Yes, in schools there are schoolchildren parliaments.

Are there are youth parliaments or other youth participation bodies on the national level? Please describe.

Youth Organization Advisory Board (hereinafter - Commission) is a consultative body set up to ensure youth participation in youth organizations in the planning, implementation and evaluation, as well as provide meaningful and effective youth development. The main task of the youth commission policy of the current situation analysis, problem identification and proposal development Child Development and Family Affairs (hereinafter - Ministry).
The Commission has jurisdiction to examine and make proposals to the Ministry of youth policy implementation and effectiveness of the Ministry of Youth Policy. Commission composed of 12 youth NGOs. The Commission shall meet at least 4 times a year. Commission composed of representatives of the following youth organizations:
• Youth organizations of the "YMCA";
• Association "GLEN Latvia";
• Society for Culture. Tolerance. Friendship;
• Association "Club" House ";
• LGPSVA Fern flower of youth group;
• Latvian Trade Union Youth Forum;
• Latvian Youth Council;
• Latvian Mazpulku organization;
• Experience Latvian Education Center;
• Latvian Red Cross Youth;
• Latvian Scout and expectations the central organization;
• Latvian Students' Association.

Is there any kind of education to youth participation/active citizenship included in the school curricula in your country, e.g. civic education? Please describe.

Youth Agency for International Programs organizes informal education workshops for young people, and we lokal level we organize youth seminars.

Do media inform about youth issues? Are young people involved in media and their production, e.g. as journalists? Please describe.

Yes, we have special list for youth in our local newspaper.

Are there youth information centres, official youth websites or other sources of youth information available for young people? Please describe.

All youth organisations is working as a youth information centre also. The most popular websites are www.jaunatneslietas.lv and www.jaunatne.gov.lv

Are young people in your country informed about the European youth policy and its priorities? What do you think can be done to make young people aware about this? Please describe.

There could always be more information, but most of all youngsters reach from www.jaunatne.gov.lv, www.jaunatneslietas.lv

Authors: Guna Pursele, Rihards Savickis , Krists Trumpenieks
E-mail: guna.pursele@inbox.lv

The surveys were submitted by the participants of the YouthVoice project from the respective EU Member States. The questionnaires were part of their preparation for the Youth Voice project and each national group had to undertake a small research about youth participation in their country. The organisers cannot guarantee correctness of the answers.