Round Table in the D-Effect project in Elbląg youth and institutions co-design the autumn YDF edition

A meeting within the D-Effect project was held in Elbląg, bringing together young people, representatives of institutions, and local organisations. The main objective was to summarise ongoing activities and develop the framework for the autumn edition of the Youth Democratic Festival (YDF).

Review of key conclusions from the first Round Table

The meeting began with a review of the main outcomes from the first Round Table involving youth and institutional partners. Participants revisited identified needs related to youth participation in decision making processes and the quality of cooperation between sectors.

The discussion also highlighted lessons learned from previous collaboration experiences. These showed both strong potential for cross sector partnerships and areas requiring improved coordination, clearer communication, and earlier involvement of young people in planning processes.

Evaluation of the pilot Youth Democratic Festival 2025

A detailed evaluation of the pilot YDF edition held in 2025 in Elbląg followed. Participants analysed the applied working methods and the level of youth engagement, which was assessed as high and active.

At the same time, several organisational and communication barriers were identified. These included coordination challenges between partners, logistical issues, and the need to better align the event format with the expectations of young participants. The conclusions will be used to refine future editions of the festival.

Developing the concept for the autumn YDF edition

The next part of the meeting focused on designing the upcoming autumn edition of the Youth Democratic Festival. The session had a workshop format and included mapping program ideas alongside available institutional and organisational resources.

Participants identified potential thematic areas for the festival and matched them with concrete capacities of partner organisations. This allowed for linking conceptual ideas with realistic implementation possibilities in terms of human, organisational, and institutional resources.

Key discussion areas

The discussion centred on several guiding questions related to the future shape of the event. These included what young people want to contribute to the festival, how institutions and organisations can support their involvement, and what resources are already available within the local ecosystem.

Another important topic was the next steps in the cooperation process, with emphasis on ensuring a more coherent and structured preparation phase based on a partnership driven model.

Conclusions and significance of the meeting

The outcomes and ideas developed during the Round Table will form the basis for the framework of the autumn Youth Democratic Festival in Elbląg. The meeting reinforced the importance of strengthening youth participation structures and further developing local cooperation mechanisms between young people and institutions.