The document “Youth Developed Guidelines for Youth Participation in Environmental Protection” was created at a time when sustainable development and environmental protection became topics that concern the future of our planet, and the future of each of us at both, the global and national levels. The Guidelines are one of the results of the “DIALOGUE from ECO anxiety to ECO action” project and the product of the involvement of 30 children and young people (ages 14 to 23) involved in the project.
The guidelines are result of the local youth dialogues that were carried out in 12 municipalities (Požarevac, Novi Beograd, Palilula, Zvezdara, Inđija, Kruševac, Novi Sad, Kragujevac, Rakovica, Niš, Bajina Bašta and Zemun), in which 250 children and young people participated during the year 2022, as well as the Attitudes of children and young people on environmental protection – “My right to the future” research that was conducted by the Friends of Children of Serbia, in which 800 children and young people participated, and which deals with the eco-anxiety of children and young people for the first time in Serbia.
The draft Guidelines were presented to a wider audience that could and should be directly involved in their implementation: representatives of the Government of the RS, members of departmental committees of the National Assembly of the RS, representatives of civil society organizations for environmental protection and work with young people, youth workers, workers in education, representatives of local governments, children and young people. All the aforementioned stakeholders had the opportunity to become familiar with the draft of the Guidelines, as well as to participate in the discussion and contribute their suggestions, through a simulated public discussion process that included several possibilities:
- First round – online “Public discussion”, realized on the Zoom platform, on June 20, 2023;
- Second round – “Public discussion” on the draft document Guidelines for young people on their involvement in environmental protection, which was held on June 23. 2023. in the National Assembly of the RS;
- Submission of comments and suggestions on the draft document via the official form available on the PDS website in the period from June 19 to July 15. 2023.
Through the process of presenting the Guidelines, children and young people became familiar with the mechanism of public discussion as a key form of consultation and citizen participation in the process of adopting legal solutions and participated in the finalization of the Guidelines. Encouraging and educating young people about the importance of their voice in deciding on issues concerning their future is the foundation for the development of democratic values and active citizens in all areas of social life. Friends of the Children of Serbia are here to remind again and again and to work to ensure that the participation of children and young people must not and cannot be neglected.
This document will serve all interested parties, as a kind of guide for understanding the attitudes, and needs, but also the possibility of contribution of children and young people in the field of sustainable development and environmental protection.
A healthy environment is not only our responsibility but also a human right. We have a moral obligation to fight for the preservation of nature and to provide a better future for generations to come. Environmental protection is an issue of national importance, in which young people should and must play a key role.
