Young people are the present – that is why decisions must be made together with young people, not on their behalf.

📌 We at “Laiks Jauniešiem” say quite clearly: young people live in the present, so our attitude and decisions must also be rooted in the present. Not ‘sometime, when they’re ready’ and not ‘sometime, when they’ve grown up’ – NOW. Because young people are already studying, working, volunteering, taking on responsibility, improving themselves and developing ideas today. The future does not lie ‘somewhere ahead’. It is being shaped today – by the decisions we make here and now.

👉🏻 This isn’t just a matter of emotion. The principle of participation means that young people have the opportunity to be involved in discussing decisions before they are taken. That is why a “discussion before a decision” is not an extra requirement, but a quality standard. In practice, however, young people’s participation all too often remains merely for show. They ask for opinions, but do not always take them into account. Young people are invited, but are not always given the chance to have a real influence. They are consulted, but the direction has already almost been decided. And then we wonder why young people are becoming quieter, more sceptical and less trusting of the process. It is not a lack of interest. It is the experience that young people’s voices carry no real weight.

🤝 Young people’s voices must be heard at every stage – at school, in local government and at national level. This means involvement in the substance of decisions, timely engagement and language that is easy to understand. It also means honest feedback – which of young people’s suggestions were taken on board, which were not, and why. Young people are not an audience, nor are they mere ‘window dressing’. Young people are co-creators in shaping rules, the environment, budgets, priorities and services. Youth participation must not be a one-off PR exercise. It must be the norm.

✅ ‘Young people are our present’ is not just a slogan. It is a demand for everyday practice and a benchmark for quality in decision-making. We’re not asking for a microphone just for show. We’re asking for an equal seat at the table, where the discussion takes place before the decision, not after. A place where young people are co-creators, not just an audience.

🫵🏻 The new ‘Young people are our present’ merchandise range is a public reminder and the start of a conversation – the aim is for this message not to fade away after a single post or event, but remains visible in everyday life and consistently reminds us: youth participation isn’t just a trend; it’s an attitude and a shared standard that anyone who believes we build society together can uphold.

🙏🏻 Words alone are not enough, so we will continue to do what gives meaning to this message: we will organise participatory activities where young people develop the skills to argue their case, collaborate and represent their ideas, and we will strengthen genuine interaction with decision-makers. Young people’s voices must be heard not just for the sake of it, but because they improve the quality of decisions and help to shape responsible, long-term solutions.

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