Young People And Local Authorities

On October 7 and 8, 1999, Sofia hosted an International Conference on Young People and Local Authorities, organized by the Foundation for Local Government Reform with USAID s support. The conference brought together 140 participants - representatives of central government, municipalities, youth and non-governmental organizations, academic and donor organizations. Participants from the UK, Germany, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Macedonia presented their own practices and know-how.

The goals of the conference were to:

focus public attention on youth problems and opportunities for participation in local self-government;

promote the creation favorable social atmosphere for dialogue between young people and local authorities;

enable sharing of existing Bulgarian and international models for achieving both active involvement of young people in the decision making process and partnership with local governments.

The main topics, presented and discussed at the conference included:

legal aspects of youth participation in public life;

Declaration of Bulgarian National Assembly with regard to the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and Regional Life;

the role of the youth councils;

municipal policies about young people;

youth unemployment;

leisure and cultural activities;

civic education;

environment policy;

youth information centers and technologies;

social activities;

specific regions;

juvenile delinquency and crime prevention.

Official guests of the conference were: Mrs. Vera Tagarinska, President Adviser, Mr. Ilian Popov, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Self-Government, Regional Policy and Public Works, MP Velislav Velichkov and Mr. Atanass Georgiev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Youth, Physical Education and Sports.

An immediate output of the conference was the produced official Memorandum of Appeal, signed by 120 participants, calling for special attention to youth problems and adoption of the principles of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and Regional Life.

MEMORANDUM OF APPEAL

by the participants in the

International Conference on Young People and Local Authorities

October 7-8, 1999, Sofia

To state institutions and local governments in the Republic of Bulgaria

We, the participants in the International Conference on Young People and Local Authorities,

Considering that:

democracy and civil society are unthinkable without young people s citizenship and initiative;

local government is closest to young people s problems and the active dialog between local governments and young people creates a future capacity for sustainable development of local communities;

young people s participation in local self-government and in decision-making on issues concerning them accelerates Bulgaria s integration in the EU;

Based on:

the European Charter on Local Self-Government, adopted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria on May 10, 1995;

the Declaration of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, adopted on July 29, 1999, with regard to the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and Regional Life;

With regard to:

the assumption of the new term of office by the newly elected mayors and municipal councilors after Local Elections 1999;

Have reached the conclusion that:

our young democracy needs the active involvement of young people in municipal and regional life;

the partnership between local and regional authorities and young people can be especially effective in areas such as: youth unemployment and entrepreneurship; environment; culture; information; social activities, sports;

solutions to young people s problems can be found only with active participation of and an open dialog with young people;

the joint efforts of local authorities and young people in solving young people s problems are a turning point in overcoming mutual mistrust and establishing an environment of openness, transparency and tolerance;

Reaching consensus on these major conclusions, we appeal for:

adoption of the principles of the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Municipal and Regional Life as leading in local governments relations with young people;

your proactive attitude towards young people as a resource and not as a problem;

development of municipal youth policies with the involvement of young people;

encouragement of young people s citizenship and initiative by providing financial support for specific projects, providing facilities and assistance for youth activities, thus overcoming the apathy, drug abuse and social alienation among young people;

special attention to solving youth unemployment issues and encouraging youth entrepreneurship at local and regional level;

creation of an atmosphere of trust, openness and transparency for and with the young people;

We do believe in young people s potential as a guarantee for the strengthening of civil society and democracy in Bulgaria.