Braga Youth City

Talking about youth issues is always appropriate because it allows to speak of a very interesting and heterogeneous group. During the last few years, when the study of the different youth profiles became necessary, society woke up and realised how important youth social and civic participation phenomena are. This was partially the result of a heritage from problematic periods in the European and world context where youngsters affirmed themselves against a closed and elitist power which marked the big world regimes to the conquer of great contributions to democracy.

Very often, significant mistakes have been made when youngsters have been seen in a very well defined stereotyped context, built on the idea that youngsters are distant from reality and from their own interests. Hence, frequently we assist to what it seems to be the creation of parellel worlds where in which youngsters and the rest of society move in different directions. It is important to try to understand why this does happen and why there is a gap which appears to be continuous in time. Or if it is only an apparent gap resulting from misunderstandings and a lack of communication.

Braga has been for some time referred to as a youth city. This definition seems to be more and more appropriate because Braga people adopted this concept and they tend to turn it into a reality with their daily practices. Such openness has been fundamental to local development. In fact in this city were developed youth plans of which some examples were transferred to other regions and countries.

Several times the question is asked about the important aspects of this youth power that have contributed to Braga’s development and growth. The answer is that youngsters are so well and deeply involved in local society that it is easy to find youth participation at all social levels, everywhere, but it is not so easy to distinguish it from other non-young stakeholders’ participation.

However, despite the excellent youth contribution to society there are still some non-desired difficulties in public participation. Therefore the implementation of policies which aim to increase youngsters’ participation is still very important.