Co-management in our local communities

Now that World Forum for Democracy is over, many young participants contacted me asking how they can become members of the Advisory Council on Youth and be part of the Council of Europe’s co-management system! For the Europeans it is an easy question to answer. But what happens with non-Europeans? This article aims mostly at them and will give an indirect answer to this question.

First of all, what is the so called “co-management” of the Council of Europe and what makes it special? During the World Forum for Democracy, the co-management was presented in an unconference and some sessions, but also during many informal discussions. So, co-management is a decision-making process that brings together both government officials who usually take decisions and youth representatives who work in the sector that is affected by these decisions.

How does co-management work particularly at the Council of Europe? It follows a very simple procedure: Thirty representatives of non-governmental youth organisations together with forty-nine government representatives come together to develop a common position on the priorities, annual/pluriannual objectives, the main budget envelopes and the necessary budget specifications of the youth sector as a whole, within the political and budgetary framework established by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

More specifically:

• The Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) is made up of 30 representatives from youth NGOs and networks who provide opinions and input on all youth sector activities. It also ensures that young people are involved in other activities of the Council of Europe.
• The European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) brings together representatives of ministries and organisations responsible for youth matters from the 49 States Parties to the European Cultural Convention. It encourages closer co-operation between governments on youth issues and provides a forum for comparing national youth policies, exchanging best practices and drafting standard texts.
• The Joint Council on Youth (CMJ) brings the CDEJ and the Advisory Council together in a co-decision body which establishes the youth sector’s priorities, objectives and budgets.
• The Programming Committee on Youth (CPJ) is a subsidiary co-decision body made up of eight members each from the CDEJ and the Advisory Council. It establishes, monitors and evaluates the programmes of the European Youth Centres and of the European Youth Foundation.

As you can easily understand, only 30 young Europeans are selected every two years to be members of the Advisory Council on Youth. This means that thousands of active young people from Europe and other continents are “excluded” from the decision-making processes at high level. But what is the solution? Should these young people quit their efforts to create better societies? Should they wait for their chance every two years? These questions can be easily answered. They should propose and try to implement the co-management system in local or regional level! Imagine a city or region that the decisions are taken together by the politicians and young people. This could change a lot in our societies and mainstream youth issues into politics!

But we should take into account that there are many obstacles to plan and implement such a co-management system! We all face different realities and our societies have different structures. What works in Europe doesn’t mean that could work in Asia for example or vice versa. Even the Council of Europe’s co-management system faces many challenges and problems! One big challenge could be how to convince politicians to accept that they have to negotiate or parley with young people before taking decisions. Another big issue is how the young representatives are designated: should they be elected or selected? And who elects or selects them, and which are the criteria of selection? Obviously there is not a single answer to these queries...

Despite the difficulties, one should not get disappointed! This article is about inspiring people and not discouraging them. The practice of Council of Europe could be a kind of manual if we want to bring co-management into our own communities. Young people should take initiatives regardless they succeed or fail. Don’t forget that sometimes failures make us stronger and wiser. All in all, try to think globally and act locally!

“It always seems impossible until it’s done!”

Nelson Mandela