The Youth Path of LADDER project, led by JEF Europe, has been following the design and implementation of youth policies at EU level, always bearing in mind participation, inclusiveness, participatory and transparent policy-making processes. Advocacy actions are permanently carried out to raise citizens’ and stakeholders’ awareness on the role and importance of youth in development.

In May 2017, the Youth Path drafted a resolution in response to the European Solidarity Corps, a new EU initiative launched on December 7th aiming to improve opportunities for young people and promoting solidarity. The guiding principle of the ESC is to bring young people willing to contribute to societal challenge through volunteering work and organizations that support local communities and work for a more inclusive society together. In order to write a legal base for the initiative, the Commission launched a public consultation directed at young people, youth workers and educators, youth organizations, public authorities and other stakeholders

The LADDER Youth Path welcomed the initiative of the ESC, as it creates opportunities for young people to volunteer in the field of sustainable development, and contributes to the awareness-raising efforts promoting development issues around the continent.  

The Youth Path also called on greater involvement of local authorities in the implementation process of the European Solidarity Corps. Decision-makers at the local level are uniquely well-placed to engage citizens, and especially young people, in development initiatives. Thanks to their proximity to pressing social issues, local authorities have the knowledge and the experience of the specific, local, supra-local or regional characteristics of these issues

Useful Links

JEF Europe calls for more involvement of local authorities in the implementation process of European Solidarity Corps