ERB Youth Strategy- the result of the CaSYPoT project !!

2019 is the year which sees the project CaSYPoT and the resulting Euroregion Baltic (ERB) Youth Strategy reach their conclusion!

The project relies on its survey which was undertaken in 2017 and interviewed young people from 4 different ERB regions. These were the City of Słupsk and the Municipality of Bartoszyce from Poland, the Municipality of Emmaboda from Sweden, the Association Klaipeda Region from Lithuania and the Municipalities of Gusev and Svetlogorsk from the Russian Federation. The respondents were questioned on topics like youth political participation and interest, their living conditions, health, education, work, feeling of safety and their future plans.

The collected data was analyzed by experts and university professors and constituted the foundation for the ERB Youth Strategy. This Strategy is a policy recommendation which can be implemented by the concerned ERB regions and municipalities. Behind it lies the aspiration that young people’s lives can be improved while they’re still in their regions so that they don’t feel compelled to move away! The goals of the Strategy are to connect young people, specifically by increasing mobility, to engage them; specifically by development and to empower them, specifically by building a common identity.

Ms Zofia Makowska from the Association of Municipalities in Kalmar County served as the CaSYPoT Project Manager and Ms Agata Ludwiczak from Euroregion Baltic provided invaluable communications support as the project’s Communication Manager. In their efforts they were assisted by university professors from the University of Gdansk, Linnaeus University, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Klaipeda University. The professors involved were Mr Przemysław Kulawczuk, Mr Andrzej Poszewiecki, Ms Elżbieta Kolasińska, Mr Per Dannefjord, Ms Anna-Maria Sarstrand Marekovic, Ms Elena Zimovina, Mr Efim Fidrya, Ms Natalya Milyavskaya, Ms Giedre Straksiene and Ms Aleksandra Batuchina. Other professionals involved were youth expert Mr Damian Ciachorowski, Ms Jagoda Wawrzyniak-Tabisz from communication agency Brand Story and Ms Theodora Chatzipanteli as editor.

The project was supported by Agency for Youth Affairs of the Kaliningrad Region, Association Klaipeda Region, Elblag Europa Association, Union of the Baltic Cities, Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council, Secretariat for Youth of the Westpomeranian Region, Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society, Region Kalmar County, Kumulus and Baltic Sea States Subregional Cooperation.

Everywhere in Europe, young people are facing very similar issues, have very similar hopes and dreams and hope for concrete changes in their lives. Therefore, the conclusions of the CaSYPoT project could arguably be of great benefit to young people in every European country. Actually, the project gave rise to many good initiatives like youth meetings, conferences, the reactivation of the ERB Youth Board, training and many others.

Especially when it comes to the newly reactivated ERB Youth Board, ERB aims to promote its activities and provides it with support, opportunities and appropriate responsibilities so that it can empower the youth. Some of the current activities of the Youth Board include being involved in various projects, meetings (in real life and online), conferences and training. They have recently elected a chairperson, Ms Julia Orluk and their current mission states that they are “active and engaged young people working for a better future in Euroregion Baltic”. Their Mission declares that they are aiming towards: “Engaging young people in democracy, international cooperation and the principles of the Euroregion Baltic”. The Youth Board has planned the following initiatives: exchange of young people between different regions, bringing young people in contact online by their interests, exchange of experience and event calendar.

It quickly becomes apparent that there is no way to predict the exact influence of the CaSYPoT project since it effects a change and everything concerning it can serve as a great example. The ERB Youth Strategy itself is an excellent policy recommendation that, if taken into account, could really bring about a new era for youth policy and how it’s implemented by the municipalities. Youth policy is sometimes a subject that is not given enough attention by regional authorities. However, the noble vision and hard work behind the ERB Youth Strategy might be the reasons why this time authorities and young people manage to effectively cooperate for a better future in the Baltic Sea region!

Link to the final version of the ERB Youth Strategy : Euroregion Baltic Youth Strategy