Dialogue between young people and public authorities should represent a normal stage in any mature democracy around the world. Understanding the needs and the vision of young people should be an essential component of the assumed strategy of any responsible decision maker form local or central levels of the public administration. Furthermore, politicians must address the future electorate in an open, friendly and accountable way, in other words people should invest in connecting bridges between generations which might lead to improved public policy and, why not, better results in elections.
I had the pleasure to participate in a project called VoTin Ialomița, that took place in Romania, Ialomița county. The project`s target is represented by young people (especially those who are in high school) from this county. We should remind the reader that the Ialomița county remarked itself through a poor participation in the last parliamentary elections.
The main goal of the project is to train young people aged between 16 and 18 – inhabitants of Slobozia and Ţăndărei cities – in order to raise awareness of the importance of voting and involvement in the democratic life of the communities to which they belong. In 2024, we hope that they will vote knowingly and will choose those options that offer young people the best opportunities for personal and professional well-being.
The VoTin Ialomita project is funded by the Erasmus + program and has been successfully developed for some time by the Egal Aces Association and the Expertin Association.
For example, one of the components of the project was a meeting held at the Cultural Center “Ionel Perlea” in Sobozia, attended by 30 young high school students from Slobozia and Ţăndărei, who had as guests the president of the Ialomița County Council, Marian Pavel, Ștefan Mușoiu member of the Chamber of Deputies, the mayor of Țăndărei, Cristi Roman, the deputy mayor of Slobozia, Gabi Mușat and Silvian Ciupercă, former president of the Ialomița County Council. The moderator of the meeting was Alin Iulian Potinche.
During this non-formal meeting, the young people entered into dialogue with their guests, being interested in the situation of school scholarships, green spaces in their cities, intra-county transport, cultural events to be organized or opportunities to be consulted when decisions directly influence them. Other aspirations of young people were aimed at the school curriculum adapted to the requirements of the labor market, a decent job offer, fair, according to their professional training, spaces for participation in which they express themselves naturally, according to their own personality and aspirations, free transport, especially when using the shuttle for the educational act, modern cities, adapted to the well-being of citizens and much more.