Youth participation - Province of Groningen, The Netherlands

To symbolize the need of incorporating groups like youth in policymaking and decision taking, I made a paper model for a chair, called ‘the empty participation chair’. This chair has one hand in the air, saying: ‘here am I, please take me in account’. The chair has two hands open to the sides, ready to be part of the chain of people, being part of the system that is the Province of Groningen. The chair is to create awareness about the importance of being inclusive, and of taking in account those who are not or less represented or have not been given a voice. The chair was handed over to the King’s commissioner of the Province of Groningen.

To give answer to the request to improve youth participation within the governmental body of the Province of Groningen I proposed and partly implemented the following actions:

- To differentiate 3 areas in relation to involving youth in the work and function of the Province of Groningen, being youth representation, youth communication and youth participation;

- Continuous collaboration between the persons active in these 3 areas;

- Direct collaboration between the persons active in these 3 areas and the youth council of the Province of Groningen;

- The implementation of an assessment method to determine the effects of policy decisions taken on younger and on future generations.

Besides this proposal I supported the youth council of the Province of Groningen in  their functioning, managed the youth participation subsidy and maintained the contact with partners related to this subject.