Local Advocacy Initiatives: Young People’s Ideas Become Concrete Actions

Within the YELI project, young people did not stop at training sessions and discussions. They went further and implemented local advocacy initiatives adapted to the needs of their communities.

Although the initial plan was to select three initiatives, following the pitch and evaluation process, four proposals were selected due to the relevance and quality of the ideas presented by the young people. The initiatives were implemented in Ceadîr-Lunga, Cantemir, Novosiolovca and Văleni.

In Ceadîr-Lunga, young people installed a book box in the central park, with the aim of promoting reading, book exchange and community involvement. The initiative showed that an apparently simple gesture can create a space for connection and access to reading for local residents.

In Cantemir, young people worked on the issue of the lack of a modern and accessible space dedicated to youth. In parallel with the efforts to create a Youth Centre, an information board was also installed to promote activities organized by young people for young people. This tool contributes to increasing the visibility of initiatives and to better informing the community.

In Novosiolovca, the initiative focused on improving the sports field by installing benches and enhancing the adjacent space. The young people analyzed the steps needed for implementation and benefited from the direct support of the village mayor, who expressed willingness to contribute to cleaning the area and installing the benches.

In Văleni, young people addressed the lack of educational and recreational activities in rural areas. The activities carried out promoted advocacy tools, dialogue with authorities and youth involvement in community development.

These initiatives showed that young people can identify problems, propose solutions and contribute directly to visible changes in their communities. More importantly, they demonstrated that advocacy is not just a concept, but a process through which young people’s voices can produce concrete results.

The activities were organized by Centrul Regional de Dezvoltare Comunitară within the project “The New Democracy Fund Moldova Extension 2025–2026”, implemented by the National Youth Council of Moldova, in partnership with DUF – Dansk Ungdoms Fællesråd (the Danish Youth Council), with the financial support of the New Democracy Fund.