Local Involvement in URBACT
 The URBACT Programme
aims at developing trans-national experiences of exchange
between the cities and partners of URBAN II (and the preceding
URBAN
programme and the Urban Pilot Projects).
The Connecting the Coalfield
Partnership is a partner in an exchange network focusing on young
people. The other partners in the ‘Young Citizen’s Project’
are Bristol City, Belfast City, Liverpool City, the Municipality
of Evosmos (Greece), Sabadell (Spain) and Comune di Misterbianco
(Italy).
The project is about empowering
young people (10-30 years of age) to play an active part in civic
life and decision-making. It is primarily a research project with
young people from Sunderland City and Easington District exploring
different models of youth participation and involvement. Within
the project, the young people will have the opportunity to participate
in exchange visits with the other partners.
This project is being
delivered from June 2004, ending in May 2006.
http://www.urbact.org/srt/urbacten/home
QUESTION
TIME COMES TO MURTON
Young
people from Sunderland and Easington were given the chance to question
local politicians as part of efforts to improve their involvement
in local decision-making.
The
young people are all part of the URBACT Young Citizen's Project,
which aims to involve young people in decision making through exploring
different methods of youth participation. The Young Citizens Project
reflects the emphasis that the Hetton and Murton URBAN II Programme
gives to promoting investment in young people. Other partners in
this transnational exchange project include cities from the UK,
Europe and Ireland.
The
event took place at the Glebe Centre in Murton on Saturday 2 nd
July. The young people had 20 minutes to question each panel member
using a 'speed dating' format. Poised to take the questions were
Fraser Kemp, MP for Washington and the Coalfields, Councillor
Joan
Freak, Easington District Councils Portfolio Holder for Social
Inclusion and Councillor Patricia Smith, Sunderland Councils Portfolio
Holder for Education and Citizenship. It is hoped to arrange a
session later in the year for the young people to question Stephen
Hughes
MEP, who was unable to attend on the day.
 Speaking
about the event, Fraser Kemp MP said: "I really enjoyed
the experience and found the discussion tough, challenging and
informative. The
young people were a credit to our community".
This
was the second of four key events to take place this year, seeing
the young people question further the role they play
in decision-making.
It is hoped that later in the year the young people will also participate
in an exchange visit to one of the other project partner
cities
from across Europe, as well as hosting a visit.
At
the end of the project, the young people will be able to feed
their experiences about their involvement in decision-making
into a toolkit
of best practice for dissemination across the whole of Europe.
Links to Key URBACT Documents -
click to view. To save a document right click on a links and select
'save as'.
URBACT
Young Citizens Project e-bulletin 1 (Dec 2004)
URBACT
Focus Group 1 Report (March 2005)
URBACT
Young Citizens Project E-bulletin 2 (June 2005)
URBACT
Young Citizens Project Baseline Report
    
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