Barcelona Llibres

‘Former councillor Imma Mayol, member of the group promoting the book, remembered that period at the’ start of the transition as a time of great political, cultural and social plurality, in which young people as a demographic held a lot of sway, which enabled innovative policies to be applied to pressing problems. "Many of ‘those ideas are also relevant today", pointed out Mayol.

"We were very bold and we tackled everything head-on. With the arrival of democracy, we believed that ‘things had to change. With impulsiveness and rashness, it was possible and we did it. We didn’t want to be a service provision factory, we wanted to facilitate, support, propose, so that young people could learn to become active citizens", noted Enric Truñó, former councillor in the Area for Youth and Sport at the start of the first democratic city council. As Martí i Pol said, everything was to be done, and everything was possible. "Luckily we were not inheriting anything, we were starting from scratch", recalled Truñó, but disillusionment was just around the corner. At that time, one in ten young people in Barcelona were ‘unemployed.

Young people demand transgressive policies

The book launch took place at the ‘La Fontana Youth Centre in Gràcia, home of the Barcelona Youth Council (CJB), which this year celebrates its 45th anniversary. In this regard, Janet Catalan Guimerà, vice-president of the CJB, demanded that the’City Council implement transgressive policies, even if they cause controversy, and restore the Councillor’s Office for Youth to help build links between youth associations and the ‘local government. "Now young people are living through a crisis, and our main problem is suicide".

The ‘Area for Youth, school of public management

The’Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, concluded the’ event by recognising all the women and men who had it all to do, not only in youth policies, and who yesterday filled the function ‘room at the’La Fontana Youth Centre to meet up again and celebrate the publication of the account of’ this singular experience.

The youth policies of which Barcelona was a pioneer recognised young people as political subjects. "Today we are the heirs of’ a generation that promoted innovative policies, a way of managing that has permeated all public policies to this day. The ‘Area for Youth was the first to carry out participatory and co-production processes, which were later ‘extended to the rest of the’ Administration. It served as a ‘public management school and fostered the associative movement", the Mayor noted.

In this book, more than fifty workers from ‘that first Area for Youth tell the story of that collective experience which helped to bring about, among others, services such as the ‘summer school camps for children and young people, the ‘youth employment plans, the first youth centres and children’s centres, and the ‘Youth Information and Advice Centre (CIAJ). The book can be downloaded for free from the Barcelona Llibres website.