CRDC and Volunteers from Cahul Take Part in the International Youth Conference in Ungheni

On 26–27 August 2026, A.O. Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară, together with the organisation’s female volunteers, represented Cahul Municipality at the International Youth Conference in Ungheni.

The event brought together young people from the Republic of Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Portugal and Lithuania, creating a valuable space for dialogue, exchange of good practices, new connections and ideas for cooperation between young people and organisations from different communities.

For us, participation was an opportunity to speak about the experience of Cahul, the specific nature of working with young people in the southern region, and the challenges we encounter when trying to bring young people closer to community life and participation processes.

One of the important moments was the participation of Irina Bejan, the organisation’s administrator, in a panel discussion dedicated to the relationship between young people, the community and public authorities.

In her intervention, Irina Bejan spoke about one of the challenges we are observing more and more often: the decline in young people’s involvement in civic and community activities.

Among the explanations discussed was the lack of relatable and authentic role models whom young people can see as examples worth following. At the same time, social media often creates an idealised image of success, wealth and lifestyle, and constant comparison with this filtered reality can make some young people perceive their own achievements as insufficient or insignificant.

We also spoke about another important issue: institutions and organisations are not always present where young people actually communicate.

If a large share of young people spend their time on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram or other networks built around short and dynamic video formats, then public authorities, institutions and organisations that want to reach them also need to adapt the way they communicate.

It is not enough to publish information through traditional institutional channels and expect young people to come to us. Messages about opportunities, consultations, volunteering or civic participation need to be presented in the language, rhythm and formats in which young people already consume information.

This does not mean simplifying the message, but rather changing the way it is delivered. If we want young people to participate, we first need to be present in the spaces where they are already active and communicate in a way that captures their attention and clearly shows why their involvement matters.

Participation in the conference also gave us the opportunity to interact with young people from several countries, discover different experiences and see that, although our communities operate in different contexts, many of the challenges related to youth participation are shared.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Ungheni Municipal Youth Centre for the invitation, hospitality and the opportunity to represent Cahul at an international event of this level.

We are glad that we had the opportunity to exchange good practices, meet young people and professionals from other communities and countries and, at the same time, bring the local perspective and experience of Cahul into the discussion.

Such meetings once again confirm that youth participation cannot be built only for young people; it must be built together with them, in the spaces where they are present and through the tools they use every day.