We are thrilled to announce that the cornerstone of our latest initiative—the YoReC (Young People for Resilient Communities) Research Report—has been officially published. This comprehensive study isn’t just a collection of data; it is the strategic foundation upon which we are building practical tools and digital resources to educate the next generation of European citizens.
Mapping Youth Participation Across Europe
The research analyzes how young people across Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany, and Hungary actively participate in their communities. By exploring local methodologies and the specific challenges youth workers face, we’ve identified a “participation gap”—a disconnect between formal democratic institutions and norms and the lived experience of young people.
Spotlight on Hungary: Breaking the “Democratic Dissonance”
Our findings for Hungary highlight a significant structural exclusion of young people from meaningful civic influence. The report reveals a phenomenon we call “democratic dissonance”: students are not taught the importance and way-and-means of participation and they repeatedly encounter contexts where their voices have no real effect.
To counter this, the research presents three “Smart Practices” currently driving change in Hungary:
- Katalizátor Képzés (Katalizátor Training): An experiential leadership and civic education program for university students and recent graduates that bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world democratic practice through high-level dialogues and professional internships.
- Katalizátor Kör (Katalizátor Circle): A “franchise-style” democratic learning model for secondary school students that combines interactive sessions, direct debates with public figures and site visits to media studios, ngo offices, governmental offices and halls of power.
Youth Participatory Budgeting: A method implemented by AKE where students—most notably in Debrecen and Szentendre—take direct control of public resources, such as the student-led project to transform a neglected school courtyard into a green study space.
Why This Research Matters
The publication of the YOREC-R1-Report marks a shift from viewing youth as passive subjects to seeing them as active contributors to social stability. Across Europe, local communities are facing declining institutional trust and a growing “participation gap” where formal civic education fails to translate into real-world influence. This research matters because it identifies the specific structural barriers—such as economic pressure, lack of stable youth spaces, and symbolic rather than meaningful consultation—that prevent a generation from taking ownership of their future.Ready to dive into the report? The full report includes case studies on football-based inclusion in Greece, intergenerational storytelling in Italy, and urban activism in Berlin.
