Upon planning local government activities, young people are also the ones whose interests are considered. By creating an opportunity for young people to have a say in decisions, it is already possible to take their opinions and views into account when planning activities, hence
ensuring the implementation of activities in the local government that are likely to meet the wishes of young people. Therefore, the Estonian National Youth Council wishes to offer local governments additional resources in the form of youth participation development support for the involvement of young people in decision-making processes concerning local life.

The aim of the youth participation development support is to involve young people living and working in different local governments in local government decision-making processes. Young people can be involved in decision-making processes in local governments either via
the activities of the youth council, youth activist groups or other form of participation. It is crucial that by acting in a form of participation, the young person has the opportunity to have a say in issues concerning young people.

This means that with youth participation development support we support activities aimed at:

1. establishment of a youth council in local government;
2. development of a form of participation in local government;
3. creating a new form of participation through which young people can have a say in decision-
   making.

Activities that the are carried out may be, for instance, cooperation meetings between young people and local government officials, round tables, discussion evenings, participatory cafés, etc. activities that support the participation of young people in local government.

There are three simple steps to allocating support to a local government:

1. giving the consent of the representative of the local government by e-mail to the contact person of the Estonian National Youth Council for the receipt of support for the development of youth participation;
2. submission of the action plan completed by the representative of the local government to the contact person of the Estonian National Youth Council;
3. conclusion of a bilateral agreement.

In 2020, the Estonian National Youth Council will allocate development support to 15 Estonian local governments in the total amount of €15,000. The support is available until 1 December 2020.

NB! If the local government already has an operating youth council, they must be involved in the planning of the funded activities.

Gregory-Martin Linder
youth participation specialist
gregory@enl.ee
+372 5684 0297