The first Democracy Festival, “DemokratON: Youth in Elbląg,” is behind us. It was a day that showed the enormous potential that lies dormant in the young residents of our city.

From early morning, there was a unique atmosphere of cooperation at the CSE “Światowid.” The event was opened by local government officials and institutions co-organizing the festival, emphasizing the importance of creating a space where young people can talk, act, and learn from practitioners of local public life. This meeting of generations, young people full of energy and experienced leaders, promised an intense and inspiring day from the very beginning.

Immediately after the opening, the young people sat down to talk with the Mayor of Elbląg, asking him questions that touched on their everyday lives, school, city, and future. This open exchange of views showed that young people not only observe their surroundings, but also want to co-create them, consciously and responsibly. Then it was time for an inspiring speech by Jerzy Wcisła, who talked about how young people can have a real impact on Poland and that civic engagement begins long before election day.

In the following hours of the festival, the entire space was filled with workshops, diverse, dynamic, touching on topics that are important here and now. Young people worked on communication, self-awareness, and discovering talents, learned to understand climate processes, talked about mental health, addiction prevention, and how to make wise decisions and build social engagement. In one room, creative activities were taking place, in another, participants were working on designing youth initiatives, and in others, they were analyzing the real challenges facing local communities. This part was complemented by a screening of the film “Elbląg on the big screen,” after which the young people met with director Juliusz Marek and had a chance to go behind the scenes of telling the story of the city.

Today's event was a wonderful example of how, when young people are given space and support, they use it fully, creatively, responsibly, and with vision. We would like to thank everyone who made this day possible: participants, experts, partners, and local government officials. It was a tremendous source of inspiration and cooperation, and at the same time, the beginning of activities that will continue in the future.

On June 24–25, 2025, a unique event took place in Warsaw as part of the D-EFFECT project – Lessons in Civil Society Democracy, implemented under the Interreg South Baltic programme. It was the first “living lesson of participatory democracy” in Poland, combined with an intergenerational and cross-sectoral dialogue. During this two-day study and monitoring visit, more than 40 young leaders from Elbląg, Dzierzgoń, Olsztynek, and Szczecin had the opportunity not only to explore Warsaw but above all to learn about the functioning of key democratic institutions in Poland.

Young people representing active Youth Councils and civic communities visited the Polish Parliament, took part in live parliamentary proceedings, and participated in a meeting at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, where an open debate was held with representatives of the ministry, including Deputy Minister Dr. Maria Mrówczyńska. The young participants asked questions about the real impact of youth on shaping policies and public activities. They also met with experts representing third sector organisations such as the Ważne Sprawy Foundation and the Impuls Dla Młodych Foundation, and learned about the activities of Warsaw structures supporting district youth councils.

The event was not only an inspiration but also a concrete step in preparing for further initiatives under the D-EFFECT project, including pilot Local Democracy Festivals, which will soon take place in Elbląg, Dzierzgoń, Olsztynek, as well as abroad in Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, and Germany.

The experience gained during the Warsaw meeting will make it possible to design and implement future activities even more effectively, strengthening youth participation in public life at both the local and transnational level. Thanks to this, the project will develop a model for engaging young citizens that can serve as an example for the entire South Baltic region. We would like to thank all participants, partners, and honorary guests, including parliamentarians and representatives of the National Institute of Freedom, for their support and involvement in creating this living lesson of democracy!

Yesterday, during the Monitoring Committee meeting – held this year in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship to mark the Polish Presidency – we had the honour of presenting the D-EFFECT project. The meeting aimed to showcase the outcomes of projects implemented in the region and their impact on local development and the quality of life of its residents.

The D-EFFECT project – Lessons in Democracy for Civil Society: Integrating the Youth Perspective into Policy-Making at All Levels in Line with the Youth Strategy 2022–2027 – was presented by Marcin Żuchowski, Director of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic (lead partner), and Maksymilian Grzeszczak, representative of the Municipality of Olsztynek (project partner).

During the presentation, the main objectives of the project were outlined, with a focus on the development of local democratic festivals as an innovative method of encouraging youth civic engagement. Specific tools were showcased, such as roundtables, live history lessons, cross-sectoral activities, and local civic initiatives. The speakers discussed the progress of project implementation and the challenges related to broad inclusion of young people and local communities. They also highlighted the local perspective by sharing concrete results and experiences from the project’s implementation in the Municipality of Olsztynek.

The D-EFFECT project was warmly received by members of the Committee, who expressed appreciation for its value and alignment with Priority 4.1 of the programme – strengthening cooperation between civil society actors in the South Baltic region.