The participatory budget "Change It" (in Czech, Změň To) encourages young people aged 12 to 25 to submit their proposals to enhance the public space in Říčany.
YOUNG PEOPLE'S VOICES MATTER
This project aims to ignite interest in public affairs and create a platform where youth can get directly involved. Giving a voice to young people, who wither cannot vote yet or are first-time voters, challenges the status quo of a public space used by people of all ages but developed solely by adults. Applicants come up with the project, its budget, communication, and campaign. Here, your voice matters, but democracy is not just given but something we have to contribute to.
TRANSFORMING IDEAS INTO PROJECTS
Change It uses an online submission and e-voting tool that revolutionises communication between the Town Hall and the citizens. Children and young adults develop ideas to work on through discussion with experts and the public, analyse their feasibility, propose a budget, and transform the ideas into project proposals. Then, the project teams actively communicates and finds voter support for their proposals. 14 different project ideas were submitted in October 2023 and the Town Hall allocated one million CZK from its budget to realise the three projects with the most votes.
PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY
Through this process, the youth gain real-life experience in various fields: project management, financial planning, PR and marketing, public speaking and presentation skills, teamwork, and many more. They learn about the principles of democracy and the voting process, as well as about how to improve the public space for themselves and other citizens. By participating, they can learn empathy towards other members of our community.
