The Youth PB Accelerator, in collaboration with the University of Granada, took part through Medialab UGR in the 10th edition of the European Researcher’s Night, which took place on September 24. While still hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, face to face attendance were partially recovered, combined with online activities.

The event emphasised the researcher’s role in society, tackled clichés with meetings in which researchers shared with visitants their hobbies and work, so society would know, for instance, José Guerrero’s work and how to paint like the artist, enjoyed flamenco music live in the Victoria’s Carmen or how to set up a safe password to avoid cyberattacks.

This year we carried out a face to face activity directly related with this year’s theme, the European Green Deal, Europe’s roadmap to boost a sustainable economy. The activity, called “Habla pueblo habla”, consisted of a participatory budget in order to educate the youth in democratic values and participatory culture.

Two groups attended the workshop, divided in phases: what the EU Green Deal and climate change is, participants draw up proposals to stop climate change and a vote to decide what proposal was better. An elementary and a special needs school attended the workshop.

During the month of June 2021, the conferences corresponding to the Youth PB Accelerator program on participatory budgeting laboratories with young people were held, within the framework of the Erasmus+ project of the European Union. The meeting was organized by Youth PB Accelerator in collaboration with the University of Granada, which participated through Medialab UGR.

The participants of the laboratories, which were open to the public, were especially aimed at young students and teaching staff from different educational fields. Once registrations were closed, the largest group of participants was from the university level, as well as political personnel and teachers of compulsory secondary education.

The laboratories were developed in 5 online sessions, 3 jointly and 2 with the participants gathered in groups. In the first two sessions, June 1 and 8, participants were presented with the instruments and tools for participation and training of the working groups, in addition to witnessing the interventions of Mari Lavios (Altea City Council), Miriam de la Rosa (Coglobal) and Pani Guzmán (Peligros City Council). The next two sessions were held in groups and had the objective of creating a participatory budgeting project in which the scope of the project (school or extracurricular) and the mode of participation of young people in it were taken into account. The last session, which took place on June 24, served to present the projects as well as to exchange the experiences of each group, and included an interview with Rosa Muñoz (Cartagena City Council).

After the groups’ presentations and their comments about the ideas that emerged in the groups, the participants carried out a survey in which they evaluated the materials and knowledge that were offered to them. The results of this survey showed the usefulness of the tools presented, and the satisfaction of the participants with the development of the sessions. Among the positive aspects to highlight of the Youth PB program, the groups highlighted the connection with other professionals with similar interests, the exchange of ideas and shared experiences. They also highlighted ideas to improve in future editions of the program, such as the creation of a database or folder in which to consult the exhibited materials, the extension of the practical part of the project and the reiteration of some ideas presented by the speakers.

The final session ended with congratulations for the work done and with the participants’ wish to have more young people for future editions, as well as an extension of the sessions to go deeper into participatory budgeting projects.

Last Thursday, June 24, the third and last session on projects with collaborative budgets of the Youth PB Accelerator plan of the Erasmus + program took place.

The session was opened with the intervention of Mrs. Rosa M.ª Muñoz, technician responsible for Participatory Budgets of the City of Cartagena (Murcia). Next, the participating groups presented their project proposals with collaborative budgets through presentations shared with the rest of the attendees.

The event organizers and attendees showed their satisfaction for a conference that took place throughout the month of June, and they expect a new edition with more participation from young people.

As planned, yesterday, June 1, were launched the Laboratories to design participatory budgets with young people, organized by our project, YouthPB Accelerator, in collaboration with the University of Granada. The session began with a presentation by Esteban Romero Frías, Director of Medialab UGR, who spoke about the general aspects of participatory budgets in Andalusia to later specify the possibilities of participation in adolescence and childhood.

After this, the participants met in collaborative tables where they shared their experiences with participatory budgeting programs and advices when carrying them out, and future challenges for participation. This served as a first contact between the members of the groups and favored the exchange of ideas, very interesting if we take into account the diversity of experiences and perspectives of the attendees (teaching staff, participation technicians, students, etc.).

Finally, two presentations were made. First, María Lavios, Councilor for Citizen Participation and European Projects of the Altea City Council (Alicante), presented her work experience with participatory budgets in young people within her municipality and how they have been improving with each new project. Later, Miriam de la Rosa, Coordinator of the Childhood and Youth processes at Coglobal, spoke about her Agora Children’s project and how to carry out participatory budgeting with the youngest.

In the following video you can see how the development of the day was:

Additionally, the two presentations can be reviewed below:

Altea Town Hall

Coglobal. Agora Infantil Project

After this work session, there are four more that will be articulated as follows:

• Session 2 (June 8): Presentation of the participation instruments, formation of the working groups and presentation of the Peligros City Council.
• Session 3 (autonomously until June 22): Development of the laboratory, with the support of Medialab UGR during the working groups.
• Session 4 (autonomously until June 22): Development of the laboratory, with the support of Medialab UGR during the working groups.
• Session 5 (June 24): Presentation of the Cartagena City Council, presentation of the results and proposals of different participatory budgeting projects.

We encourage those present to continue participating and, for those who could not attend the first session, we remind them that they still have the opportunity to access the laboratories and certify their work, attending the rest of the sessions.

If you are not registered yet, you can do so from the following form. People who participate in the process will receive a 20-hour certificate.

From “Youth PB Accelerator” (youthpb.eu) we continue working to bring participatory budgeting closer to youth and, therefore, we invite you to the “Laboratories to design participatory budgets with young people”, an activity coordinated by the University of Granada, through Medialab UGR, the only university participating in the European Erasmus + project.

The initiative is focused on facilitating the design and sharing experiences of Participatory Budgeting for young people. It is intended to test the set of tools and methodologies, offered by our project, for the development of a participatory budget design, with the aim of increasing social commitment and the empowerment of young people with democracy. Participants will leave the labs with a youth participatory budget project ready to be implemented.

Sessions

The laboratories will be developed in 5 online sessions that will take place during the month of June. These sessions will be distributed as follows:

• Session 1 (June 1): Presentation of the laboratories and cases of participatory budgeting carried out in municipalities and schools.
• Session 2 (June 8): Presentation of the instruments for participation and training of the working groups.
• Session 3 (autonomously until June 22): Development of the laboratory, with the support of Medialab UGR during the working groups.
• Session 4 (autonomously until June 22): Development of the laboratory, with the support of Medialab UGR during the working groups.
• Session 5 (June 24): Presentation of the results and proposals of different participatory budget projects.

Who is called to participate?

During the sessions, proposals will be generated and a participatory budget design will be made, seeking that the people involved in the seminar develop or continue to develop their skills and civic abilities. The proposal is open to the general public but is of special interest to:

• Young people interested in participating in democratic processes.
• Management staff and teachers of primary and secondary schools.
• University teaching and research staff.
• Degree students in education, pedagogy or related areas.
• Technical personnel and political positions of citizen participation of local or regional entities.

Registration, term and certification

To attend, register using the following form until May 28. People who participate in the process will receive a 20-hour certificate.