Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at domestic level

The Youth Parliament program  is an educational program organized every year by the Hellenic Parliament Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports. It is addressed to first and second grade senior high school students (aged above 15) of schools in Greece and of the Vocational Schools of Apprenticeship of the Greek Public Employment Service (DYPA). The institution provides opportunities for the active participation of young people in national, European, and global issues. In recent years, its activities have been further strengthened through digital consultation processes and thematic sections addressing climate change, human rights, and digital transformation, reflecting contemporary global issues of concern to youth.

The most well-known program to encourage young people to active citizenship, at a domestic level is the Hellenic National Youth Council, as mentioned in Section 5.4 . The Hellenic National Youth Council, in order to realize its goals, leverages methods and actions described in its statute. Among others, the following are mentioned: 

• Collaborations with social bodies (University Institutions, Trade Unions, Non-Governmental Organizations.) 

  • Collaborations with institutions of the Greek State and the European Union 

  • Participation in national and international networks of organizations for issues concerning young people 

  • Coordination and implementation of programs and projects in the Greek territory resulting from its participation in European or other international bodies 

  • Establishment of stable structures for consultation with civil society 

The European Youth Parliament Greece  (EYP) is a non-profit association of independent of  political parties. It is a member of the European Youth Parliament, which has 41 National Committees and since its establishment in 1987, it organizes annually over 100 actions involving 25,000 young people. EYP organizes on an annual basis two National Selection Conferences, one in Athens and one in Thessaloniki. In these senior high school students of the country participate in a European Council work simulation program and may participate in the National delegation. Participation can be declared by students of all senior high school classes, for schools in the Region associated with a National Selection Conference. Students, i.e. young people over the age of 18, have the opportunity to participate voluntarily in the organization’s activities and to be actively involved in organizing events and educational programmes.

In April 2023, the European Youth Parliament of Greece is organizing the  45^th National Selection Conference  with special interest on "(The) Wind (of) Change - Youth Initiatives for the Development of Environmental Awareness: Empowering the active participation of young people in environmental policy".

In addition, the National Youth Council of Greece (EKNE) supports and participates in thematic fora and events with a broader socio-political focus, such as the 1st University Forum of EKNE, where young people have the opportunity to express their views and exchange opinions with other youth and stakeholders on important societal issues.

U-Report Greece 

U-Report Greece is a Unicef digital platform and gives young people a platform to express their views on political and social issues. It affects more than 20 million young people in over 91 countries. In Greece, U-Report is available since April 2022. U-Report is free, anonymous and completely transparent. The platform can be used for online consultations with children and young people, which are conducted in the form of polls. Those interested can register and participate in the consultations via Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or Viber. The responses are analyzed in real time, mapped and displayed on the Greek website. The results are shared with users and disseminated to political and social bodies at national and local level. 

Global issues exchanges with policy-makers at an international level

In the context of European Year of Youth 2022, the European Commission's Voice Participation platform operated. The platform called   ‘’Time to hear your Voice on the Voice Platform’’ , offers the opportunity to young people from every country to express their ideas and concerns about the future of Europe. The thematic categories included European values, Arts and Culture, Digital Technology, Education and Learning Mobility, Employment, the Environment, Health, Well-being and Sports, Inclusion, as well as the role of Youth in the world. This related European initiative is now part of the broader framework of the European Commission’s digital youth consultations.

The  European Solidarity Corps   creates opportunities for young people who wish to participate in volunteer actions and solidarity projects aimed at strengthening local communities across Europe. The program targets young people aged 18–30 and functions as a tool for active participation in the European Union, with an emphasis on sustainable development, social inclusion, and equal opportunities. For the 2021–2027 period, the program’s budget exceeds 1 billion euros, while the National Coordination Unit in Greece is the Youth and Lifelong Learning Foundation. 

The European Youth Forum  is constitutes the main organized “voice of youth in Europe,” representing more than 100 national youth organizations and councils. Through dialogues with European institutions, campaigns, and research, it contributes to the shaping of youth-related policies on issues such as:

• Human Rights 

  • Democracy 

  • Sustainable Development 

  • Social Integration and Employment of young people

In Greece, the National Youth Council is a representative-member  at the European Youth Forum, acting as a representative link for Greek youth organizations at a European level. of youth organizations in the European Youth Forum.

At the same time, in recent years, institutional youth dialogues with European bodies have been strengthened, such as the European Youth Event (EYE) of the European Parliament, held biennially and allowing direct exchange of views between young people and EU policymakers.