Young People Face to Face with Authorities: Local Dialogues in the South

An important stage of the YELI project was the organization of local dialogues between young people, local public authorities and other relevant community actors. These meetings took place in Ceadîr-Lunga, Cantemir, Novosiolovca village in Taraclia district and Văleni village in Cahul district.

The dialogues offered young people the opportunity to directly present the problems identified in their communities, the proposed solutions and the advocacy initiatives developed within the project. For many participants, these meetings were a concrete exercise in civic participation: they learned how to formulate a request, how to discuss with authorities and how to establish follow-up steps after a public meeting.

In Cantemir, young people presented the initiative to create a Youth Centre. The proposal received the support of local authorities, with an available space identified and the resources needed for the development of this service discussed. Support for the initiative was recorded in a protocol and is to be discussed during the meetings of the Mayor’s Office.

In Ceadîr-Lunga and Novosiolovca, local authorities contributed to supporting the initiatives proposed by young people. In Văleni, the discussions focused on strengthening youth activities and the need to ensure the long-term sustainability of services dedicated to young people, including through dialogue on hiring a youth specialist and identifying funding opportunities.

These meetings showed that young people can come before authorities not only with concerns, but also with concrete proposals. At the same time, the dialogues demonstrated that, when there is openness, cooperation between young people and local public administration can lead to real solutions for the community.

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.