Active participation opened up a world for me…
Simona, Italy“I invite all young people to take part in the political life of their municipalities or cities, to actually and effectively live their citizenship”
I’m Simona, a lawyer and local councillor in a small town in the province of Brescia, Italy. I took part in the “Europa in Comune” project with many other young people: a truly enriching experience! The project, promoted by the municipalities of Sarezzo and Cinisello Balsamo (both Eurodesk network multipliers), and financed by the Erasmus+ Action Ka3 programme, aimed at activating young people in decision-making processes through meetings between youth and local administrators, using the structured dialogue methodology.
Together we explored issues related to “active citizenship”, a term we often hear but which, in practice, is difficult to explain and understand. We asked ourselves the reasons why the younger generations do not actively participate in the life of their countries, and we promoted several local initiatives, aimed specifically at involving young citizens in decisions and events. Being able to discuss this issue with my peers made me aware that we too often assume that involving other young people is easy. In fact, it is necessary to think TOGETHER with young people in order to create real collaboration.
The current distance between representatives and the represented requires important actions to make the role of the citizen effective in the shaping of common local, regional, national and European policies.
That is why I invite all young people to take part in the political life of their municipalities or cities, to actually and effectively live their citizenship.
Active participation opened up a world for me, which I could not even imagine before. Have faith in yourself and embark on this new challenge. I guarantee it will be worth it!
Updated on Tuesday, 17/02/2026