‘Youth Development and Engagement Collective’ is a project financed by the European Union, selected from the 2024 REGIO call “Youth4cooperation: the future of cooperation”. With the goal of empowering youth voices and highlighting the diversity, the project unites young people from cities and rural areas of 14 countries along the Danube.
Empowering young voices through Cohesion in the Danube Region
- 11 April 2025
Many young people today feel disconnected from policy platforms at the EU level. To bridge this gap, the Youth Development and Engagement Collective (YODEC), funded by the European Union, makes policy engagement accessible through online tools and local gatherings, ensuring young voices are heard.
In the last few months, YODEC has offered training on Cohesion Policy and Interreg to young ambassadors from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine, who have had the mission of organising trainings about the same issues in their schools.
Through its Youth Ambassador Program YODEC is engaging over 400 young individuals coming from cities, towns and rural areas to advocate and influence public policy. The Digital Platform developed created an online hub for engagement, education, and feedback collection on Cohesion policy and Interreg.
Through these initiatives, YODEC empowers young people to actively participate in creating an inclusive policy landscape that reflects the diversity of society. As engagement and training spread, youth voices will shape the policies of the future.
Want to know more? Visit the YODEC webpage!