DAY - Changing the City: Watch Eurochild's new documentary on child participation

Press Release

Brussels - We are excited to announce the release of a powerful short documentary that sheds light on how children and young people can actively shape their communities—even if they cannot vote. The documentary showcases the inspiring achievements and visionary ideas of three young people representing over 2,000 high school students participating in the Democratic Activation of Youth (DAY) Project in Naples, Italy.

This documentary takes viewers into the lives of three young people from municipalities II, IV, and VI, showcasing their aspirations to improve their local areas. Through their personal stories, we hear some of the issues these young people worked on alongside local governments such as fighting school dropouts by improving public transport in the city's outskirts, advocating for the creation of a skate park, enhancing waste management and recycling, and removing architectural barriers in public spaces.

“This documentary wants to demonstrate the lasting impact of youth engagement on local development. Involving children and young people can benefit everyone, for example when seeking innovative solutions to societal problems. They bring fresh ideas and have a deep understanding of the challenges they face every day." – Davide Rambaldi, Eurochild Communications Coordinator

#ProgettoDAY, implemented by Fondazione l’Albero della Vita, CIDIS and Eurochild, has worked with young people from nine schools across three districts with poor social and economic indicators. Through their involvement, the children and youth were empowered to create Civic Agendas for change, demonstrating that young voices can lead impactful initiatives in their communities. Their journey culminated in presentations in Naples, Brussels, and even the Italian Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies, advocating for scaling up the project across Italy during meetings with local, national and EU policymakers.

• Watch the documentary now on YouTube or below:

For more information, please contact:  Davide Rambaldi, Eurochild Communications Coordinator