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YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Lithuania

Lithuania

4. Social Inclusion

4.8 Current debates and reforms

Last update: 1 February 2024

In 2020, the 2021-2030 National Progress Plan was adopted, the 2nd GOAL of which is to increase the social well-being and inclusion of the population, strengthen health and improve the demographic situation of Lithuania. The youth group is not singled out, but it is mentioned in a related document. In 2019, the Action Plan for Increasing Social Inclusion 2020-2023 was approved and updated in June 2022, extending the previous document - the Action Plan for Increasing Social Inclusion 2014-2020, adopted in 2014. The document was adopted in order to create conditions for the development of services for socially vulnerable persons, persons experiencing social risk and exclusion, which would ensure the active inclusion of these persons, primarily in order to promote equal opportunities to participate in the labor market and better employment opportunities. In this document, youth is mentioned separately because of higher unemployment than the overall unemployment rate. Anticipated social integration activities that promote the restoration and increase of a person's social independence and work capacity, professional competence and capacity to participate in the labor market (e.g. assessment of a person's social and other service needs, individual and group motivation, information, counseling, mediation, representation, psychosocial assistance, socio-cultural services, development and support of social skills, vocational guidance and counseling, development of general abilities, development of professional skills, active labor market policy measures, assistance with employment and employment) (point 2.6).

The 2023-2027 action plan of the national youth policy provides goal 1 - to ensure social inclusion, well-being and global citizenship education of young people. To achieve this goal, the following tasks are planned:

1.1. The task is to develop the citizenship of young people by encouraging them to participate in the activities of youth organizations, voluntary activities and other civic activities.

1.2. The task is to develop the system of work with youth, increasing the coverage and integration of youth with fewer opportunities and challenges into society, the education system and the labor market.

1.3. The task is to promote a healthy lifestyle of young people, active leisure time and to develop various measures that ensure the strengthening of mental health of young people.

1.4. The task is to strengthen relations with the youth of the Lithuanian diaspora, ensuring the implementation of Lithuanian state policies that meet their needs and the implementation of community activities, with the aim of actively participating in solving issues relevant to Lithuania, and encouraging them to return or come to Lithuania.

1.5. The task is to promote the involvement and empowerment of youth in the implementation of sustainable development goals, the green course, creating a harmonious relationship with the environment.

1.6. The task is to strengthen the digital literacy of young people and their ability to use the media, the resistance of young people to misinformation and hostile propaganda, segregation and radicalization.

1.7. The task is to ensure youth mobility, international and intercultural dialogue, recognition in the world and representation of the interests of Lithuanian youth in the EU and international institutions and organizations.

The city of Marijampolė - the youth capital of Lithuania in 2023 - is the first initiative of its kind in Lithuania, aimed at the country's municipalities and the young people living in them. It is an opportunity to involve young people to participate more actively in the life of the municipality and the country, to give them more power to form youth policy and to present their municipality to Lithuania as unique, active and youthful. The initiative of the Lithuanian Youth Capital originated from the project "Klaipėda - European Youth Capital 2021". Klaipėda's aspiration to shake up the geography of European youth capitals and become the first such capital in the Northern Europe and Baltic Sea region was successful (more here).

 

A competition is underway for the Youth Capital of Lithuania for 2025. The purpose of the competition is to strengthen youth policy and cooperation between the youth sector and local self-government, creating favorable conditions for young people to participate in municipal life, empowering young people, volunteering, improving the quality of work with young people and developing coverage, strengthening inter-agency cooperation (more about the competition - here).