EU4Youth: forum on youth challenges and opportunities

On 31 July, the Illuminator Youth Centre hosted a regional forum on youth opportunities and challenges in Kakheti, Georgia. The event gathered 40 young people from across the region, offering them a platform to share the key issues they face in their communities and to learn about existing programmes designed to support their development.

The forum aimed to amplify the voices of local youth and to provide space for constructive dialogue on their civic, educational, and social needs. In addition, participants were introduced to a range of national opportunities, services, and initiatives that respond to youth priorities and support their empowerment.

One of the central components of the event was the World Café format, which enabled participants to work in groups and reflect on the main barriers and needs affecting young people in Kakheti. The insights collected during these discussions will be compiled into a document and shared with local organisations and stakeholders, with the goal of encouraging more youth-oriented and locally relevant initiatives.

The forum marked the conclusion of the project ‘Promoting Engagement and Unity of Akhmeta Youth for Community Resilience’, implemented by the Illuminator Youth Centre. Over the course of the project, young people in Akhmeta were engaged in activities aimed at strengthening civic education, improving access to local and national opportunities, and promoting social inclusion and community cohesion.

The Illuminator Youth Centre is a beneficiary of the grant programme under the ‘EU4Youth: Youth Engagement and Empowerment’ initiative, co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).