NEGLIGIBLE NUMBER OF YOUTH AT THE POSITIONS OF POLITICAL POWER
Belgrade, September 26th, 2016 - In the government of the Republic of Serbia there is no one minister, assistant minister or state secretary which belong to the youth category, up to 30 year old people, and for the last two yers, there were only 2 people of this category. In 169 municipalities in Serbia, only four of them have the presidents which are up to 30 years old and belong to the category of youth. This is a part of the research „Youth Partecipation Index“ which is realized within the „Youth Bank Hub for Western Balkan and Turkey project“, realized in Serbia by the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation.
„At the positions of the highest political power, the positions of the key decision making of the executive process there are no young people at all or there are in a negligible number. Omission of youth from the positions is a trend which continues for 15 years and it should be changed. The youth politics of this society should be more encouraging for young people, open for recognizing their value and giving them the opportunity to participate in decision making process at least in those areas related directly to their life“, said Jovana Tripunović, from the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, presenting this research to the journalists.
This research was made in Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Turkey - countries in which the „Youth Bank Hub for Western Balkan and Turkey project“ is realized - and the results, shown in a comparative analysis, are discouraging at the same measure, with rare positive examples. In the Government of Macedonia, for example, at this moment, among 20 ministers 9 of them are less then 30 years old.
In only 2.5% of local self-government in Serbia the presidents of the municipalites are up to 30 years old and these municipalites are: Plandište (30 y), Palilula (29 y) and Bački Petrovac (27 y). In Montenegro there are no presidents of the municipalities which belong to the youth category, while in Albania there are three young people at the highest position of the local government (5.9%)
A little bit more then a half of local self-government (91) have established a Youth Council and 53 of them are active. In 128 municipalites, there are formed Youth Offices.
Of the total number of 250 elected deputes of the Natonal Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, currently only 8 deputes belong to the youth category (two men and 6 women) and they are betwwen 27 and 30 years old. In Montenegro, of the total 81 deputes only one of them belong to the youth, in Albania of the total 140 deputes only three are young people and in Macedonia of the total 123 only two people are up to 30 years old.
The political parties mostly ignored the answer to the researcher′s question in which measure young people are present at their main boards and assembles, said Dragana Aleksić, the author of the research, and added that only the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina gave this answer.
This research has included the review of the communication channels by which executive govrnment communicate with citizens, in order to examinate if they include the channels intresting for young people. The Natonal Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Govrnment of the Republic of Serbia, the Assembly of the AP Vojvodina, The Govrnment of the AP Vojvodina have thir own web presentations, on-line contact forms, and use also social media networks for the communication with citizens to a certain extent. All ministries have their own web presentations, three fourths of them have their Facebook page, around 70% of them have Google+ Network, one half of ministries have also Twitter account, and 62.5 % have also a Youtube channel. We have similar situation with local self-government units: all of them have their own web presentation, the most popular communication channel is Facebook, then Google+, and the next are Twitter and Youtube.
The research about youth participation in decision making processes is the part of the comprehensive monitoring of “Youth Participation Index” through which the youth participation in the areas of the public life will be measured in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania and Turkey, and the public will be informed twice a year.
| The „Youth Bank Hub for Western Balkan and Turkey project“ speaks for a wider participation of young people in decision making process in all areas of society and except in Serbia, it is realized in Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Turkey. The objective of the project is strengthening youth and their inclusion in decision making process in society. |