»Loud & clear« is a campaign (with tools and materials) to increase young people’s participation in public affairs through the tool of municipal participatory budgeting. It is aimed at all those who work with young people in schools, youth organisations or NGOs. We have gathered international knowledge and experience from teachers, youth workers and youth workers who are also using more unconventional methods to motivate young people to participate. The »Loud & clear« campaign is part of the New Young Democrats programme.

Which problem are we solving? Young Europeans’ interest in taking an active part in political and social life is on the decline. The »Standard Eurobarometer 94« survey in Slovenia shows the lowest satisfaction among all EU countries with the functioning of democracy in their country, with 75% of respondents not satisfied with the state of democracy. The »Slovenian Youth 2018/2019« survey shows that in 2018 almost every second young person shows no interest in politics. Only 12% of young people aged between 15 and 29 participated in the participatory budget in Maribor. If young people are not active citizens, democracy is at risk. As participatory budgeting is an effective and simple democratic tool for solving social problems in the local environment, it is also an opportunity to deepen democratic values.

Why is the implementation of municipal participatory budgets an opportunity to mobilise young people? Because it offers young people the chance to make a difference in their local environment here and now, rather than in some indefinite distant future.