After the success of first edition, the Territorial Federation MFR Drôme-Ardèche and its partners – The Transition Laboratory, BioValley, the Archipelago, Let's dare Here and Now – as well as the MFRs of Mondy, Chateauneuf and XXX – are back with a new edition of the Festival of Engaged Rural Youth! This festival, designed by and for young people, aims to be a key moment to promote their commitment and aspirations, by addressing essential themes such as participatory democracy and the digital transition.
This year, the preparation of the festival is based on an introspective and participatory approach, thanks to workshops conducted with young people. These times of exchange allow them to name, understand and manage their emotions, in order to adopt a caring and open posture during the festival.
For example, "I don't always feel respected by my supervisor. How can I find my place as a young person experiencing the world of work?" These questions are essential to allow young people to take a step back, express their feelings and find courses of action to better experience their experiences.
By working on these issues, young people learn to better understand themselves and develop their empathy, accompanied by the educational teams. This approach gives them tools to express themselves and interact constructively, thus strengthening their commitment and their ability to actively participate in the festival's discussions.
Co-financing Erasmus+ (KA154) supports this dynamic, by highlighting participatory democracy and the digital transition as levers for expression and action. While waiting for the event, take the time to listen to LaDN's captivating podcasts which look back on the first edition and follow the preparation of this new adventure. Inspiring voices, motivating testimonies and a beautiful collective energy to discover here:
More than just an event, this festival is a space for dialogue and experimentation, where rural youth can collectively reflect on their future, build concrete projects and build links with local stakeholders. The festival is a space for empowerment: it allows young people to express themselves, compare their ideas and experiment with ways of making demands.
👉 Challenge elected officials and local authorities: young people will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with local decision-makers, starting with the Board of Directors of their training establishment.
👉 Consolidate their power to act with concrete tools: learn to formulate a powerful speech, use communication media, defend a plea.
👉 Experiment with forms of protest and creation: debates, artistic expressions, collective projects… so many ways to explore their creative power to act and make their voice heard.
Rather than remaining spectators, young people become actors of change, by speaking out, formulating proposals and building meaningful projects. Together, let’s build hope and give a voice to rural youth!
