On March 13, 2025, the BRAVO office in Sarajevo hosted a workshop on Democracy and Youth Participation, as part of the ongoing Youth4Values project. The session was led by Maria Perojević, an active youth worker and dedicated advocate for civic engagement.
The workshop was inspired by the experience Maria gained during a training course in Athens, Greece, where she participated as a representative within the Youth4Values project. Eager to share the knowledge and skills acquired abroad, Maria facilitated an interactive and educational session designed to empower young people and strengthen their role in democratic processes.
Through a mix of presentations, group discussions, and hands-on activities, participants explored the fundamental principles of democracy, the importance of active citizenship, and practical ways to get involved in local and international initiatives. The atmosphere encouraged open dialogue, critical thinking, and mutual learning among attendees.
This event served as a powerful example of peer-to-peer knowledge transfer and demonstrated how international learning experiences can have a direct impact on local communities. By bringing back what she learned in Athens, Maria not only enriched the Youth4Values project but also inspired others to engage in shaping the future of their communities through democratic participation.
The workshop was yet another successful step in BRAVO’s ongoing mission to promote European values, youth engagement, and social inclusion across Bosnia and Herzegovina.
MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
Project will support active citizenship and political participation of youth in partner countries, coming from 3 different European regions. As well as, the project will foster the development of social and intercultural competencies, critical thinking, and soft and transversal skills. The focus will be on raising awareness of and understanding the European Union context, European identity, and the importance of active participation in decision-making processes at the local level, especially among youngsters.
To strengthen the connection between democracy and active citizenship and active participation in the decision-making process at the local level, and recognizing that each is mutually dependent on the other, is the most important result of this project. We will achieve it through the enhancement of democratic governance and the rule of law by fostering a culture of active citizenship, promoting civic education, and empowering individuals with knowledge about their rights and responsibilities as citizens. We hope this project will help improve the quality and accessibility of NFE in partner countries by collaborating with youth organizations, educational institutions, and decision-making bodies, and help bridge the gap in the existing system.
Research indicates that participation in different forms may be on the increase, for example, pressure groups, civic initiatives, consultative organs, and so on. These forms of participation are just as important to the effective functioning of democracy as voter turnout at elections, if not more so. In Europe as well, even in the more traditional democracies, “people power” appears to have found a new lease of life: students have protested in many countries against moves by governments to impose fees on education. Trade unions have brought people onto the streets to protest about the impact of economic cuts.