On Thursday 16 April we took part in the second regional training of the Croatian Youth Network at the Zadar Youth Centre. What do local youth policies look like in practice? Who monitors them, who questions them and how can they become more useful to young people in the community? These were some of the key questions.

The training brought together representatives of youth associations, organisations working with young people, and all those who wish to take a more active role in creating better conditions for young people in their local communities. Participants came from different cities, but with very similar goals: that youth policies should not remain on paper, but be implemented concretely and respond to the real needs of young people.

During the training, we discussed the role of local policies in the daily life of the community, ways of monitoring their implementation, and identifying what is working well, as well as what needs to be improved. Through practical work, we had the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with concrete tools and methodologies for monitoring and evaluating youth programmes, as well as to exchange experiences about the challenges we face in our own communities.

In addition to new knowledge, the training was also an opportunity to network and lay the foundations for future collaborations that could help strengthen the position of young people in the community.