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Youth Sounding Board of the European Union in Panama

14.01.2025

The Youth Sounding Board (YSB), in Spanish Altavoz Juvenil (AJ), emerges as part of the European Union's (EU) commitment to youth participation, a central principle in its founding values. Recognising young people as agents of change, this initiative is framed within Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen's EU Youth Action Plan (2021) (2019-2024), with the purpose of strengthening the voice, empowerment and connection of youth for the development of more inclusive, democratic and sustainable societies.

In the Panamanian context, where one third of the population is young, the EU Delegation has identified the need to create spaces for dialogue and collaboration with this demographic group. The Youth Sounding Board becomes a bridge between local perspectives and European policies, promoting the inclusion and strengthening of civil society organisations (CSOs) working on issues of great social and environmental relevance.

Currently, YSB Panama is composed of one main and one alternate representative from the following CSOs: Jóvenes Unidos por la Educación, Asociación Panameña de Debate, Dame un Chance, Fundación Espacio Creativo, Jóvenes y Cambio Climático, La Red de Jóvenes por el Agua Centroamericana, Consejo Nacional de Juventud, ANYAR, Fundación Contra-Peso, Espacio Encuentro de Mujeres and Colectivo Voces Ecológicas. These organisations address issues such as: democracy, empowerment, feminism, ecology, indigenous peoples' rights, prisoners' rights, education, water and natural resources, climate change, youth.

 

General objective: Establishing a space for consultation, advice and interaction between Panamanian youth and the EU Delegation in order to ensure that the voices of youth are heard and taken into account in decision-making and in the design and implementation of activities.

Specific objectives:

  1. Facilitate communication and collaboration between the EU Delegation and youth representatives to integrate their perspectives into policies, programs and activities.
  2. Highlight and enhance the work of CSOs and their impact on key issues such as education, climate change and human rights.
  3. Provide tools and training on topics of interest to enhance youth leadership.

Total cost: 20.000 EUR

EU contribution: 20.000 EUR

Financing and implementation instrument: EUreCA Panama Facility

Duration: November 2023 - November 2025 (24 months)

Expected results:

  • Creation of a regular consultation space to strengthen mutual understanding between the EU Delegation and youth CSOs.
  • Youth empowerment through the inclusion of their perspectives in EU initiatives and programs in Panama.
  • Increased recognition and support for participating organizations at the national and international levels.
  • Establishment of ties and alliances among participating CSOs, fostering dialogue, cooperation and the exchange of best practices among the youth of Panama, with the possibility of carrying out joint projects.
  • Strengthen the role of youth as agents of change, promoting sustainable development, peace and respect for human rights.

Target Audiences/Beneficiaries:

  • Target group: Panamanian youth organisations of civil society.
  • Final beneficiaries: young Panamanian population.

 

Activities carried out:

Youth Sounding Board meetings

Representation or collaboration in EU activities

Cultural and green activities

  • 23/11/2023: Inaugural meeting of YSB Panama in which the objectives and expected results are established.
  • 21/06/2024: Second in-person meeting of YSB, which sought to strengthen collaboration and define the next steps to be taken.
  • 20/09/2024: Teambuilding exercise, drafting of recommendations for the EU Youth Action Plan, and follow-up meeting on the activities of the YSB.
  • Several online meetings
  • 11-12/05/2024: Participation of the YSB in Espacio EUROPA, the meeting point for culture, technology, environment and social inclusion, on the occasion of Europe Day, in particular in the session “Young people changing the world: the value of associations and volunteering”.
  • 08/08/2024: Participation of the YSB in the debate of Indigenous Voices: for Rights and Mother Earth, as well as coordination of the exhibition of young indigenous artists.
  • 9-10/10/2024: Participation of the president of the YSB Panama, Sara Bermudez, representing the AJ, in the Global Gateway High-Level Youth Event that took place in Brussels.
  • 26-27/11/2024: A representative of the YSB accompanied the EU ambassador in the visit to the Gulf of Montijo, where the impact of the project implemented by MarViva in the area of artisanal fisheries was explored and responsible practices for the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems were explained.
  • 03-05/12/2024: Participation of YSB representatives in the meetings of the Global Digital Gateway and Energy Transition Working Groups, as well as in the launching of the Colonial Roads, Natural Crossroads project.
  • 21/06/2024: Guided visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama together with Team Europe Youth
  • 24/08/2024: Tree planting in the Metropolitan Park
  • 30/10/2024: Guided tour of the Casa del Soldado, the Cultural Center of Spain in Panama, together with Team Europe Youth
  • 16/12/2024: Guided tour of the Chancellery together with Team Europe Youth
  • Participation in EU events: 14/12/2023 Christmas Concert, 07/03/2024 Jazz Night for Women's Day 2024, 10/12/2024 Forum on the experience of elected members in the UN Security Council: Lessons and Perspectives, 12/12/2024 Christmas Concert 2024.