A new youth community project is offering 18 to 24-year-olds from Derry an opportunity to use their voice to influence decision-making – with a potential for follow-up paid opportunities.
Co-Operation Ireland are running the Voice Matters social media campaign to run during the week commencing August 23 at St.Columb's Hall in Derry. The programme is funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through The Reconciliation Fund.
The tailored training programme will include workshops and masterclasses on topics like mental health, leadership, facilitating conversations, media skills and more.
This will then lead to paid work opportunities for participants to assist us with delivering five public events starting in early Autumn.
These events will be focused on a social issue or topic chosen by local people through social media campaignS; attendees will then deliberate together to come up with solution-focused recommendations.
Co-Operation Ireland's Amy Black told MyDerry: "We are proud to introduce Voice Matters; a Derry-based community project aimed at raising awareness about the ways people and communities can use their voice to influence decision-making and create more opportunities to participate in democracy in your local area.
"If you are interested in being a part of making your community a better place, why not follow us on social media to keep up to date on the activities we have planned over the next few months.
"The project aims to promote the value and importance of civic participation and raise awareness of deliberative democracy and how it can be used as an effective way to address issues within communities.
"It aims to facilitate an inclusive and sustainable way for people to have a greater say and influence on decision making in their communities and increase local people’s sense that their voices are meaningful and can be heard by decision-makers."
Registration can be done here and the Voice Matters project can be followed on Facebook and Instagram.
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