Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
European Commission logo

YouthWiki

EACEA National Policies Platform
Slovakia

Slovakia

5. Participation

5.8 Raising political awareness among young people

Last update: 28 November 2023
On this page
  1. Information providers / counselling structures
  2. Youth-targeted information campaigns about democratic rights and democratic values
  3. Promoting the intercultural dialogue among young people
  4. Promoting transparent and youth-tailored public communication

Information providers / counselling structures

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic is responsible for civic education at schools. Education on democratic rights and values is supported by several initiatives of non-profit organizations (5.7). There are organisations and institutions that provide information for young people on various topic (including information on democratic rights).

The Information Youth Centres and the Association of Information and Counselling Youth Centres are funded from the state budget in the framework of the Programmes for Youth (Programme SERVICES for youth).

Youth-targeted information campaigns about democratic rights and democratic values

Make decisions (decide) on Europe

  • the Centre for European Policy in cooperation with partners
  • a long-term international activation project since 2016 (funded from the Erasmus+)
  • meetings of young people, interactive seminars, simulation of the EU-institutions working/functioning, conference and other activities
  • for secondary school students in the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic
  • the aim is to support young people's dialogue with the politicians

By one rope, Participation is not a foreign word

  • ZIPCeM - Association of Information and Counselling Youth Centres
  • a long-term project since 2015
  • information and activation nation-wide campaign
  • for pupils/students of the primary and secondary schools in larger communities and towns
  • the project is a part of the national activities of the EU Youth Dialogue and supports its vision
  • the meetings are aimed at the evaluation of the youth policy status based on young people's opinions and expectations; preparation of proposals/suggestions for the solutions and meeting the key-players/stakeholders
  • the participants' personal responsibility for following activities as well as mentoring and assistance from so-called "ambassadors "(i.e. young activists, leaders from other towns) represent an added value

This time I'm voting

  • Office of the European Parliament and Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia with partners
  • 2019
  • campaign to promote participation in European elections
  • roadshow – various events across Slovakia
  • events organised by Eurodesk multipliers under the topic "Democracy and Me" during the European Youth Week

No hate

  • Youth Council of Žilina Region
  • 2015 - 2016
  • information campaign and non-formal education for young leaders
  • aimed at secondary school students within the Žilina region
  • the campaign addressed the issue of discrimination and hate speech
  • the goal was to broaden young people's knowledge of their rights and their application in the practice
  • the campaign later continued as a national project School without Hate/Škola bez nenávisti (4.5)

Promoting the intercultural dialogue among young people

Living Library

  • EDUMA non-profit organisation
  • ongoing awareness-raising actions related to the theme "discrimination and exclusion
  • the aim is to eliminate prejudices against groups endangered by exclusion.
  • online living library: personal video-stories (migrants, minorities, disabled, fosterlings/nurslings from foster homes /children's homes/ and others)

Young Roma leaders

  • Divé maky non-profit organisation
  • a long-term project funded from Erasmus+ and Programmes for Youth
  • mentoring and non-formal educational activities for young Roma leaders
  • aims to activate and advocate Roma and disadvantaged youth towards public authorities that are responsible for the preparation and implementation of programs and strategies for youth

nehejtuj.sk

  • eSlovensko non-profit organisation
  • multimedia initiative for elementary and secondary schools
  • the aim is education through facts and emotions – encounters with people having experienced discrimination, xenophobia or bullying (minorities, disabled people, LGBT, excluded communities and other)
  • 12 movies (each dealing with a different theme of hatred) and a methodological handbook for teachers + DVD

I am abNORMALly fair

  • EQUITY non-profit organisation
  • public campaign in 2016 that involved well-known people from sport, show-business, fashion etc.
  • the aim was to point at the importance of equality and equity (equal treatment vs. equal approach) within diverse groups, often endangered by exclusion.
  • video-stories of well-known people, studentsˈ contributions from the competition

Fotoroma

  • The Faculty of Mass Media Communication, University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius with partners
  • an international project (2016) with a Norwegian partner aimed to raise awareness of the cultural diversity of the Roma and building intercultural dialogue through photography
  • study visit, workshops with talented Roma youth, public exhibitions
  • publication of photographs of selected works by Roma youth and Slovak experts with short texts in Slovak, Norwegian, English and Romani.

Promoting transparent and youth-tailored public communication

The objective to strengthen the legislation or create new mechanisms enabling free access to information, accessibility of information for disabled people, children, young people and seniors,

participation of public in decision-making, as well as various forms of associating of citizens and free and independent functioning of civil society is set out in the Strategy of Civil Society Development in Slovakia.

Guidelines for participation of young people in the policy-making processes and for transparent public communication with young people are part of the outputs of project such as:

The topic of "communication between policymakers and youth" is partly involved in several publications issued by IUVENTA – Slovak Youth Institute focused on the development of the self-governmental policy such as for instance "Reading Book for Local Governments" (Mihaliková et al, 2018), "Power of Youth" (Mičicová et al, 2012). IUVENTA also provides non-formal education for policymakers called SAMO - strategic planning in the field of youth work for local governments. Similar educational programme, Participatory public policy making, is offered by The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for the Development of Civil Society.