Together, Jointly With Them
Youth research, contest, study visit and student forum for active civic participation
Introducing the Erasmus+ Excellence Award winning youth project of DEMKI.
The objective of DEMKI’s Erasmus+ Excellence Award-winning project, entitled ‘Debrecen Youth 2023’, was to promote the civic engagement of young people in Debrecen and to offer them opportunities for active participation through its activities. As a result of the 4 interconnected series of activities, the quality of life of young people in Debrecen improved, and their sense of belonging and loyalty to the city and to each other was strengthened. We spoke with the project coordinator, Imre Enyedi, about the achievements, the in-depth youth research, and the voice of young people in Debrecen.
Giving voice to young people
The project did not start without precedents. The roots of the professional work trace back to 2019, when dialogue regarding the lack of student representation in the city was initiated within the framework of a KA3 project.
"At that time, we saw that although young people possessed the willingness to act, a stable, systemic structure was missing in Debrecen. We wanted young people not merely to be passive observers, but active shapers of their city," recalls Imre Enyedi.
A core group of forty people had already formed during the previous project, allowing the work to continue seamlessly into the 2023 cycle. The aim was to bring young people from diverse backgrounds into a single community and to transform theoretical citizenship knowledge into tangible, real-life experiences, thereby facilitating the active participation of young people.
Debrecen24: when a city becomes a playground for youth
Undoubtedly, one of the most spectacular and popular elements of the project was the Debrecen24 contest. The objective of this flagship event was to strike a balance between quality and mass outreach. It reached nearly 700 young people, with teams from 12 secondary schools competing against one another.
"The 24-hour contest is an intensive, creative team game consisting of physical and logical challenges. Here, fair play and commitment to one another carry the same weight as solving the tasks," explains Imre Enyedi. As a result of the tournament, development was already visible in the students within a single day; they became more active and learnt to cooperate as a genuine community. The long-term sustainability of this success is demonstrated by the fact that the contest has been organised every year since, involving the city’s cultural and educational institutions.
A comprehensive picture of Generation Z
The greatest professional weight of the project was perhaps delivered by the comprehensive youth research. No survey of this nature had been conducted in Debrecen since 2009, so there was a strong demand to understand the well-being of young people. The aim was not merely to produce statistics, but to build an authentic picture of the mental health, future prospects, and urban attachment of young people.
The youth themselves were involved in designing the research, co-creating the questions with the support of youth work professionals. In this way, they reached over 1,260 students across 12 secondary schools. The results highlighted contemporary challenges: although attachment to the city is strong, 70% of young people feel they have no say in local public affairs. The research also brought to light the mental health impacts of the post-Covid era, the uncertainty of future prospects, time deficits, and the negative influence of social media.
"This research did not end with the project closure, as it has become the foundation for the upcoming youth strategy of Debrecen," emphasises Imre Enyedi. Prompted by the responses, the DEMKI Youth House is setting up a new advisory space this year to provide mental hygiene and psychological support for young people.
The power of forums
How does an opinion turn into a decision? The forums of the project built precisely this bridge between young people and the city leadership. While the forums starting in 2019 were still characterised by fear and reservation among the students, today the youth of Debrecen come forward boldly, ask questions, and stand up for their opinions armed with arguments.
"One of the most visible successes of this is the issue of weekend night public transport. The lack of night public transport was a recurring theme at the forums, and since we involved decision-makers in the dialogue, certain lines now operate until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in Debrecen."
"This experience of success fundamentally changed the attitude of young people towards public life," says Imre.
Study visits for experiential learning
As part of the project, members of the Debrecen student council travelled to Kecskemét for a study visit. The objective was to learn about a well-functioning advocacy system with a decades-long history. Through peer learning, both the students and the staff of DEMKI could observe first-hand the high level of participation of Kecskemét youth at the annual city assembly, as well as the importance of project-based work.
"Today's youth find it harder to commit to an organisation for years, but they are willing to work full steam for specific causes if they see how much time and energy they need to invest. We also reinforced this open approach, as for us, it is not the "membership card" that matters, but the willingness to act for your peers," states the project coordinator.
Openness and development
The impact of the project can be measured not only at the city level but also on an individual scale. Within six months, several quiet, reserved students became proactive leaders and opinion-shapers. The level of awareness skyrocketed in everyone, and the degree of their active civic participation increased significantly. Time and project management, logistics, communication, and openness are skills that young people can now validate in the labour market using their Youthpass certificates.
When asked about the Erasmus+ Excellence Award, Imre Enyedi highlights the power of the community:
"This is our award. It belongs to everyone: the students, the teachers, and my colleagues who believed in this work. For us, this is positive feedback that we are on the right track. The Excellence Award carries the message that youth work in Debrecen is professional, value-creating, and forward-looking. This is our shared success, which gives us the strength to continue."
And what is the secret ingredient of success?
'Together, jointly with them,' Imre formulates. ‘Real, sustainable change in the life of a city can only be achieved by never working instead of young people, but by working with them as partners, through transparent communication and mutual trust.’
The example of Debrecen has shown that if the city leadership and the youth sector are curious about the voice of young people, the future will not only be more predictable but can also be shaped together.