When selecting the participants in the Fòrum Jove BCN, mechanisms will be in place to ensure parity in terms of gender representation; territorial, socio-economic and origin diversity; and the participation of profiles that are not affiliated to institutions. This will be done to ensure maximum representation of the city’s young people.
Barcelona takes a further step to involve the young people of Barcelona in the co-creation of public policies that have a direct impact on their future. Ninety-nine young men and women, aged between 16 and 29 years old, will take part in the Fòrum Jove BCN: a deliberative assembly due to meet several times between July and the end of 2021 that seeks to develop municipal policies for Barcelona’s young people over the coming years. Based on the needs identified by the assembly in order improve the prospects of young people, the debates will also serve to propose other actions that will be incorporated, among other City Hall initiatives, into the Barcelona Adolescence and Youth Plan 2022-2030.
The multiple crises over recent years have had enormous consequences for young people in areas such as housing, job insecurity and emotional wellbeing. Through the Fòrum Jove BCN, the result of a proposal put forward by the ERC municipal group (the group with the youngest councillor on the city council) to specifically address the issue, and with the joint impetus of the Participation and Youth departments of the municipal government, a direct participation space is opened up that seeks to identify and discuss the needs of the city’s young people and the solutions to their problems.
The Adolescence and Youth Plan, promoted by the Councillor’s Office of Children, Young People, the Elderly and People with Disabilities, already has a great deal of experience in terms of youth participation – both of affiliated and non-affiliated young people – insofar as design is concerned. Through the Fòrum Jove BCN, it manages to broaden the channels of participation for designing the plan.
Ninety-nine young people chosen by draw
In order to select the 99 people due to make up the Fòrum Jove BCN, a draw was made to pre-select 20,000 people in the 16-29 years old age category. All of these people will be sent a letter inviting them to participate. A second draw will be made among all those who fill out the invitation form indicating their desire to participate, with the total number being narrowed down to 99 participants. Throughout the procedure, different criteria are used to ensure that the final group is as demographically representative as possible. This includes proportionate representation of young people of three different age groups, gender, place of birth (Spain or abroad) and neighbourhoods, with selections being made based on indicators of disposable household income as well as personal backgrounds and choices such as professional activity, level of education, emancipation status and interest in politics.
The objective is for the selection of profiles to be as broad as possible, and for the voice of young people who are not affiliated to institutions to form part of this space. Participation in the Fòrum Jove BCN will also be remunerated, compensating the dedication of young people and encouraging the participation of all profiles.
In addition to the plenary sessions, this participatory process incorporates a gender perspective, promoting dialogue and debate between people in small deliberation groups where efforts will be made to create spaces in which people feel safe and comfortable when contributing and where all opinions can be heard.
Citizens’ assemblies: a demographic mechanism used around the world
The formula of citizens’ assemblies, comprised by people chosen by draw to develop recommendations and policy proposals, has long been used in other countries at both national and local level. At the national level, significant examples of this demographic mechanism can be found in Ireland, which has convened various citizens’ assemblies since 2012 to order to address issues such as abortion, climate and gender equality; as well as other assemblies held in the United Kingdom, Denmark and France with the aim of providing solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the local level, the city of Toronto has held a citizens’ planning panel since 2016. This panel made up of people selected by draw, with the composition being refreshed every two years.