"PASSI - Active Participation and Development of Interconnection Strategies"

The project “PASSI” stems from the consideration that the role of non-profit organizations is nowadays consolidated in promoting the personal and professional development of young people, less in areas such as the promotion of democratic participation and active citizenship. The distance of young people from politics is the result of a sense of powerlessness that puts policy makers in the eyes of young people as absent and incapable interlocutors to have a full perception of their real needs. The lack or insufficient solid networks involving private and public actors (Organizations, schools / universities, institutions, youth councils, representatives of the business sector) plays a fundamental role resulting in an ineffective promotion of active participation. One of the main factors preventing young people from becoming an active part of the youth policy decision-making process is the lack of structured and successful mechanisms capable of connecting the needs of young people, their proposals and the decision-makers.The project is a follow up activity directly connected to another project co-financed by the EC under the umbrella of the Erasmus+ Programme. The mentioned project, named “TRAIN” aims at encouraging and stimulate active participation, giving voice to young people and creating a bridge between them, their recommendations and the political decision-makers, so that European youth policies will take more in consideration their needs and point of view. Young people involved in the project TRAIN will work for 18 months in local and international groups meeting face to face or in virtual spaces.The Project PASSI foresees the realization of a three-day event which will take place in Cagliari.Day 1. Youth work strategies - Tools and good practices. It will see the participation of youth workers, researchers and representatives of local and international associations, decision-makers, representatives of the local Public Administration, the National Youth Agency, Schools / Universities, and the entrepreneurial sector. The planned interventions and discussion tables will be aimed at sharing good practices and innovative tools of non-formal youth education; strategies will be proposed to foster both the participation of young people in European mobility programs and to raise their awareness of the importance of active participation in society. The confrontation with the political decision makers will give to the NGOs the chance to better understand the political agenda on the subject and highlight anycritical issues through recommendations.Day 2. Fair of voluntary organizations. The goal is to create meeting spaces and cooperation opportunities in order to strengthen the local level networks of youth and non-profit associations including some national and European realities; creating at the same time new synergies and prerequisites for future working collaborations at local and international level.Day 3. Young people, active participation and European citizenship. Interactive workshops on active citizenship, participatory democracy and European values. During the workshops, based on the methodology of no-formal education, the young beneficiaries, the members of associations and the policy makers will have the opportunity to discuss and debate about current issues and relevant problems of young people in Europe. At the end of the meetings is expected the elaboration of a series of recommendations to be taken I consideration for the development of future youth policies, the texts will be presented to the representatives of the local public administration and the E+ National Agency. Specific objectives of the project:

• To contribute to the definition of Regional, National and European youth policies through the design of recommendations resulting from the dialogue between the main actors (young people, policy makers, organizations, schools and representatives of the local enterprises);
• To promote dialogue and cooperation between policy makers and young people by encouraging a participative approach of young people and comparing action models;
• To stimulate the cooperation of youth organizations by strengthening regional (CASMI) and international networks (TDM 2000 International) and supporting the creation of new networks involving political decision makers and the public Administration, with the aim of facilitating the debate on youth policies at regional, national and European level;
• To develop new tools and strategies, facilitating the sharing of knowledge and good practices to promote and encourage the active participation of young people.