In the political arena, topics concerning young people will soon prevail, because youth policy is not a futuristic story, but a set of questions and challenges that we have to face in the current time.
This was said by the executive director of the Institute for Youth Policies yesterday during the presentation of the comparative analysis "Significance of Youth Policies of Montenegro". Nina Krivokapić Bakrač.
As announced, the aim of the lecture is to inform local government officials who directly or indirectly work with young people in their work.
Krivokapić Bakrač pointed out that the importance of youth policies is multifaceted.
According to her, several factors play a significant role in the development of youth policies, such as the demographic situation, policies aimed at the elderly, continuous discontinuity in the creation of the institutional environment...
"The need and role of young people in society has been neglected. Youth policy is not a futuristic story," said Krivokapić Bakrač.
As she explained, the Montenegrin system has laws on youth, adding that public policies in Montenegro should include the opinion of young people.
"Young people aged 14 or 15 have already formed attitudes when it comes to political topics. Hate speech, in public discourse, also affects the youth," she said.
Krivokapić Bakrač noted that everyone must be aware of the fact that it is difficult for young people to be independent, that is, "to focus on their autonomy".
"The strongest discrimination is when you come to a job interview and they ask you if you have experience," she said.
She assessed that digitization and modern technologies permeate the lives of young people, which, according to Krivokapić Bakrač, results in the loss of "live" communication.
She praised that Montenegro has a Youth Council at the national level, adding that local governments must be more engaged when it comes to young people.
"Young people have their rights and participate. At 15, they can establish a working relationship, and at 16, they can get married. Especially that they pay taxes to the state, which allows them to be said to be participating in society," she said.
Krivokapić Bakrač is of the opinion that all systems need coordination and openness.
"Youth politics is much more than seeing and hearing something. They have to understand that they are important in this value system", she said.
She pointed out that Scotland is "a very good country for promoting youth policy".
According to Krivokapić Bakrač, the National Law on Youth is not good and can still be improved.
"I would like to see young people taken care of since elementary school," she said.
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