Promoting & increasing participatory citizenship of children and youth in local decision-making

The municipality of Funchal created the Municipal Youth Assembly to promote and increase participatory citizenship of children and youth in local decision-making. The project started in 2014 and targets children between 13 and 15 years old, and simulates the Municipal Assembly: students from different schools develop and present proposals of interest to the municipality by playing the role of deputies. After feedback from the municipal executive, students vote for the most feasible proposals. The municipality then implements the projects within a set budget.

The project seeks to provide youth an opportunity to understand what it means to be a citizen, consolidating young people’s knowledge of local, regional and national authorities, in addition to facilitating the development of children’s critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. So far, the Municipal Youth Assembly has resulted in four major projects that address topics such as social inclusion, environment, sustainable development, education and culture.