The European Charter: an Opportunity for Zlatograd s Young People
Plamen Chingarov
Chairman
Zlatograd Municipal Council
No. 7/2000
On May 31, 2000, at a ceremonial meeting, the Zlatograd Municipal Council adopted the principles of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and Regional Life as the basis of the municipal youth policy. This act came as a result of a series of initiatives promoting the Charter, organized jointly by the Municipality of Zlatograd Development Center and the Municipality of Zlatograd under the FLGR-funded Encouraging Citizen Participation Project.
The submission of the Charter for adoption by the Municipal Council was a result of almost a year of preparation. During that time, the youth within the municipality established and strengthened several youth organizations, such as the Youth Center of the Municipality of Zlatograd Development Center, student councils in the secondary schools, the EU Friends in Zlatograd Club, etc. All of these organizations aspire to motivate the young people in the region to work on issues such as youth employment, environmental education and actions, cultural, sports and educational events, interaction with local authorities, international exchanges, etc.
The memorandum signed by the Municipality of Zlatograd and the Zlatograd Youth Center in 1999 laid the foundations of a model for interaction on youth issues. The opportunity to use the youth s potential was expressed in a Zaltograd Municipal Council decision of May, 1999, on assessing the need and taking actions to adopt the European Charter on Young People s Participation in Municipal Life. This decision ranked the Zlatograd Municipal Council among the three Bulgarian municipalities that have taken specific actions towards the practical and informed adoption of the Charter. In 1999, with regard to the Charter, the National Assembly adopted a declaration that recommends to local governments to work together with youth organizations and groups, as well as to support as much as possible the implementation of youth programs. Last year, selected representatives of three schools in the Municipality of Zlatograd participated in an international exchange with youth from London Derry, UK. The exchange was organized under the EU s Youth For Europe Program. Youth representatives from the Municipality of Zlatograd were presenters, lecturers and participants in various regional, national and international programs: the Balkan Youth Festival (Gabrovo, August 1999, YCIC); Young People and Local Government International Conference (Sofia, October 1999, FLGR); youth leaders training (France, November 1999, CEAVA).
Councilors, municipal administration representatives and youth organizations were unanimous that the adoption of the European Charter s principles must be accompanied by specific practical actions on its implementation in the municipality and the region. As a result of this and based on youth proposals and opinions, a Program on the practical implementation of the European Charter was adopted. The program is realistic, does not require so much financial than organizational, methodological, program and other resources. It includes activities, such as: establishment of a bureau for seasonable and hourly employment, presentation of the preferences for employers who hire young people, allocation of a youth quota in employment associations and other measures related to employment; improvement of sports, technical and information facilities; establishment of a consultative office on youth issues; involvement of young people in local events related to property and environment preservation; establishment of a public fund for youth initiatives and encouragement of local youth organizations to implement projects aimed ta young people s higher mobility.
There are two facts that support the practical orientation of the Charter s adoption: as of November 1999, a representative of the Youth Cneter is a full member of the Municipal Council Standing Committee on Education and Youth Activities; with the adoption of the European Charter began the completion of a sports facility in Zlatograd. The ritual on the adoption of the European Charter included the presentation of positive youth practices, admission of new youth members, a What would I do if I were a municipal councilor? mini-training with the participation of young people and municipal councilors, the announcement of a My dream for the prosperity of my municipality youth competition. In the adoption of the European Charter principles, the Municipality of Zlatograd copied Gabrovo s idea of the young people as resources, not as a problem to formulate its vision on the youth: joint activities to create a goodwill, joyful, reliable and full of challenges environment in which the young people could develop their personal capacities, such as temper, physique, communicative skills, culture and spirit, for a more responsible and loyal behavior.