As part of the project GivEUvoice – Materializing Youth Voices Across European Spaces, funded by the European Youth Together programme of the European Union, SFERA International actively contributed to the implementation of three local consultation meetings aimed at amplifying the voices of young people living in peripheral, semi-rural, and non-urban areas.

The GivEUvoice project seeks to strengthen youth participation in democratic life by creating inclusive digital and physical youth spaces and by developing a European Youth Network that materializes young people’s voices in cooperation with local municipalities. Using a strong bottom-up approach, the project places young people at the center of dialogue, consultation, and decision-making, ensuring that their real needs and experiences inform future European and local youth policies

During the first consultation meeting, young people were asked a fundamental question: What do young people need the most today? The answer was clear and consistent across participants. They highlighted the urgent need for better job opportunities, relevant and accessible education—both formal and non-formal—and for a system free from nepotism and inequality. These reflections underlined young people’s desire for fair chances, transparent institutions, and education that responds to real-life challenges.

The second consultation meeting focused on structural and educational challenges affecting young people’s daily lives. Participants raised concerns about overloaded school schedules, the lack of recognition and support for non-formal learning, and the growing need for environmental awareness and sustainability education. Young people emphasized that meaningful participation can only happen when education systems are inclusive, flexible, and connected to societal and environmental realities.

In the third consultation meeting, discussions took a more emotional and reflective turn. Young people spoke openly about the psychological impact of recent tragic events, including the fire in Kočani, and the long-term emotional burden such experiences place on youth. Participants called for free psychological support, safe spaces to speak openly, and greater institutional accountability. They strongly expressed the need for a secure digital platform where young people could share stories, connect through blogs, express themselves anonymously, and report issues without fear of judgment. Their message was powerful and unanimous: mental health matters, and young people deserve to feel safe, heard, and supported.

The local consultation meetings coordinated by SFERA International gathered 18 young people and 5 youth workers, facilitators, and municipal representatives, creating a diverse and inclusive space for dialogue and exchange. In line with the GivEUvoice methodology, these meetings were conducted in Poland, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Cyprus, Spain, France, Germany, and Greece, ensuring geographical diversity and representation of voices from across Europe. The discussions focused on identifying key needs and challenges related to building a Youth European Network grounded in accessibility, inclusivity, and active citizenship, while inspiring future action at both local and European levels.