Study Visit in Lisbon “Welcoming Cities: Participation of Youngsters with background”

DYPALL Network’s study visit “Welcoming Cities: Good practices of Participation of Youngsters with a migrant background” took place from 7th – 12th November 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal.

21 participants from 9 different organizations and municipalities from North Macedonia, Germany, Portugal, and Spain, had the opportunity to explore the involvement of the migrant youth and young people with migrant backgrounds in participation in decision-making processes and discover the local practices from non-governmental organizations and municipalities in Lisbon and Sintra.

The study visit started with builting a common ground on migrant youth participation in decision-making, discussing the current situation of migrant youth in European countries, municipalities’ interests’ in the involvement of migrant youth, and the need for cooperation.

The following day, with the support of IPDJ | Instituto Desporto Juventude, we had a roundtable with ComParte, Crecer, and O Lado Negro da Força in which we discussed spaces, the support needed, and the challenges faced when working with youth migrants and youth with migrant background taking part in the decision-making process. Later, we had a study visit to Associação de Moradores do Per 11 in Lisbon which works on the inclusion of youth with migrant backgrounds at a local level with the support of Aga Khan Development Network.

The study visit continued in Queluz, where good local practices on migrant youth participation were presented by Pendão em Movimento, APDJ, GAVE – Grupo de Artistas Vale de Eureka, Criagente, Associação The One Zion. In the afternoon, we visited Casa da Juventude da Tapada das Mercês in Sintra where Associação Comunidade Islâmica, Acas – Associação Luso Caboverdeana de Sintra, Gabinete de apoio ao jovem (GAJ), Jipangue Association shared their inspiring practices of inclusion of migrant youth and youth with migrant background in the decision-making processes.

On the last day of the study visit, we reflected upon the elements needed to build a Welcoming City and had a final briefing of all recommendations proposed by participants for the municipalities to be more welcoming.

The study visit is part of the “Cities of Welcome” project that is coordinated by Migrafrica in cooperation with DYPALL Network, Citizen Association United Youth, and Fundació Catalunya Voluntària. It is funded by the KA2 Erasmus+ Programme under the German National Erasmus+ Agency JUGEND für Europa.