The next consultative meeting, between the pupils of the "Mother Teresa" secondary school and the Chairman of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Vau i Dejes - Mr. Ervis Shimaj, marked an important opportunity for young people to express their opinions and their concerns regarding the involvement in the decision-making process, the challenges and perspectives, based on the strengths of the Vau i Dejes Municipality in terms of good governance.
Among the greatest achievements of such meetings where young people are included, is education on the recognition of their rights as citizens, on the right to information on decisions that directly affect young people and how to raise their voice to decision makers on priority issues. On the other hand, it also serves to encourage reflection on thinking "outside the box", not only in the role of the student but also in their role as members and citizens of the community where they live.
During the interactive discussion with the Chairman, it was possible to exchange information, where the young people present spoke about the main issues that concern them and questions related to the functioning of the decision-making process, emphasizing:
- The need for an environment where students can effectively complete physical education lessons during school hours;
- The need to use public spaces to build recreational spaces to engage and activate young people, as most young people feel "isolated" and this also affects their creative side and encourages the desire to leave the country to the best opportunities;
- The lack of public transport, on the other hand, deepens this problem of not involving young people in social life;
- Lack of education on activation in consultations/decision-making and on where they should be directed for presenting their complaints/proposals;
Based on the submitted requests, the Chairman of the Council, Mr. Shimaj, informed the young people about the operation of the decision-making process, the capacities that the Municipality has and the efforts to improve governance and responsiveness to citizens' requests. The request directed by the Municipality for the allocation of funds for the reconstruction of the school has already been officially approved and soon the area of Bushat will have a new school that meets all standards, including a suitable gym. On the other hand, the information was shared that among the plans of the Municipality and on which requests have been sent, is the construction of new public spaces for the community and especially the young people. A Cultural Center is planned to be built in Vau i Dejes. Also, young people were informed about the possibility of being directed to the structure of the Youth Council, as the representative entity of their needs.
In conclusion, the President emphasized that students and young activists, with the right energy and passion to be informed, educated regarding the engagement in decision-making, can be valuable resources to change things for the benefit of their community. To ensure the successful involvement of young people in the decision-making process, it is important to ensure access to information, sufficient support, as well as appropriate representation at all levels of the decision-making process.
This meeting took place following the project "Increasing Community Engagement in Vau i Dejes, for the Resolution of Local Issues", with the financial support of the Small Grants Program of the Commission for Democracy and the US Embassy in Tirana.
