07/10/2026
Open youth work in action: from Sousse, Tunisia 🌍
Where does democracy start? Often in a youth centre, when a young person is listened to for the first time.
Last week, POYWE President Tanja Herceg Impress and Board member Karin P-S BOJA - Bundesweites Netzwerk Offene Jugendarbeit took part in the Advance Planning Visit of an Erasmus+ Youth exchange in Sousse, Tunisia. Partner organisations and institutions from Tunisia, Austria, Poland, Croatia, Norway, Bulgaria, Armenia, Palestine and Türkiye came together to shape a programme on democracy and youth participation in local communities.
In about two weeks, 60 participants will meet in Sousse, guided by experienced facilitator Marcus Vrecer. Our General Manager Jørgen Motzfeldt Wangensteen will also join the exchange.
For us, this topic is at the heart of open youth work. Open youth work spaces are often the first place where young people experience participation in practice: they take decisions, take responsibility and learn that their voice matters. This is democracy that young people can live, not only learn about.
We are proud to see POYWE members connecting across nine countries, from Europe to North Africa and the Middle East.
Open youth work in action: from Sousse, Tunisia 🌍
Where does democracy start? Often in a youth centre, when a young person is listened to for the first time.
This week, POYWE President Tanja Herceg (Impress, Croatia) and Board member Karin Peham-Strauß (Austria) took part in the Advance Planning Visit of an Erasmus+ youth exchange in Sousse, Tunisia. Partner organisations and institutions from Tunisia, Austria, Poland, Croatia, Norway, Bulgaria, Armenia, Palestine and Türkiye came together to shape a programme on democracy and youth participation in local communities.
In two weeks, 60 participants will meet in Sousse, guided by experienced facilitator Marcus Vrecer. Our General Manager Jørgen Motzfeldt Wangensteen will also join the exchange.
For us, this topic is at the heart of open youth work. Open youth work spaces are often the first place where young people experience participation in practice: they take decisions, take responsibility and learn that their voice matters. This is democracy that young people can live, not only learn about.
We are proud to see POYWE members connecting across nine countries, from Europe to North Africa and the Middle East.
Erasmus+