The report Exploring Practices of Youth Participation in Marginal Areas: Strategic Orientation Towards Youth Migration Governance Models is now online! This document is the first public output of the European project OUT4INGOV – New generation alpine OUT-migration Engagement FOR an INclusive GOVernance.
The document analyses 31 practices mapped to understand the state of the art of existing approaches in terms of policies, mechanisms, and governance tools to promote youth participation, the development of marginal areas – with a focus on Alpine space, and the circulation of people and ideas.
Regarding youth participation, the study examines youth councils and assemblies—such as the experience of the Municipality of Maribor—some international youth councils (e.g., the Mediterranean Youth Council), public consultations to gather young people’s visions and needs (as in the Puglia ti vorrei initiative), and empowerment/advocacy activities such as the Europe-wide project The Future We Want.
Among the practices that promote the development of marginal areas, there are several examples of social innovation projects, like Portugal’s Rural Move, which created a multi-level governance framework from the local to the European level to help build more resilient rural communities, strengthening them and supporting the human, economic, and demographic regeneration of Portugal’s rural territories. This group of practices also includes capacity-building initiatives for communities and local institutions, such as those promoted in Italy’s Friuli Venezia Giulia region TALENTI FVG – Incentives for businesses to attract young professionals. Another example for this cluster of practice is the Youth Fund (Estonia): a local tool to engage young people in territorial development, strengthen their connection to the community, and finance their own projects/initiatives. It offers small grants and mentoring to boost youth participation and build capacity to design and implement project ideas. The priorities are: entrepreneurial youth; active civic engagement; ties with home villages/regions; innovative ideas for the home village.
With respect to the circulation of people and ideas, different network models aim to build relationships among individuals, organizations, and institutions in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation at both individual, community, and territorial levels. Among these are initiatives in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol—Mondo Trentino Village and Suedstern—which seek to generate exchange and growth among emigrants from the same territory while keeping a positive, living connection with their place of origin. There are also European networks connecting people from different countries, such as the European Union Global Diaspora Facility, and exchange mechanisms among universities in nine different countries like the Forthem programme. Several practices—both in France and Slovenia, for example—focus on the return of university and postgraduate students after experiences abroad, with the goal of enhancing youth leadership and engagement in their home territories. These examples offer concrete insights into how migratory phenomena can be transformed into drivers of development, with young people playing a direct role.
The practices analysed confirm that it is not enough to merely “involve” young people as beneficiaries: it is essential to give them real roles in decision-making processes, concrete responsibilities, autonomy, and the tools to act. In many cases, the most effective initiatives are those where young people take on leadership, co-design, and monitor the projects themselves. Valuing the transformative potential of youth participation is crucial for the future of these territories. To foster youth leadership, a process of accompaniment and empowerment is needed so that younger generations can act with autonomy and responsibility. A recurring element is the need for mentorship—supportive adults, facilitators, and intermediaries who accompany young people through the processes, offering training, guidance, and connections with institutions. Without this support, the risk of dropout or limited impact is high. Many of the practices examined also stress the importance of creating inclusive spaces for marginalized youth, minorities, or those with limited opportunities—through inclusive language, organizational flexibility, and adapting contexts (timing, locations, formats) to remove barriers to participation.
Another recommendation from the analysis is that local actions should be embedded within multi-level strategies (local, regional, national, transnational) and that there should be ongoing dialogue among the different levels of government—both to ensure regulatory coherence and strategic vision, and for the sustainability of the initiatives themselves.
Following the mapping and analysis of practices, the project now moves into a phase of implementation and testing of three prototypes (1) a permanent youth advisory body, (2) a network made up of young emigrants and young people living in their home territories and (3) a Youth Migration Observatory.
The report is now available under “resources”.