The Palermo Youth Advisory Board (YAB) is a group of young people aged 15-25 who work closely with CESIE’s Rights and Justice Unit.
YAB members participate in planning youth-focused interventions, organise activities and training for peers and younger youth, and collaborate with adults on various initiatives. They also have opportunities to travel abroad for training to develop their skills and confidence.
Key Themes:
- Gender identity
- Violence prevention
- LGBTIAQ+ rights
- Child protection
- Psychological well-being
- Sexuality and affectivity education
Making a difference
The YAB has contributed to several projects, including advising on initiatives to combat teen dating violence (Children First), and contributing to EU-funded youth-focused projects like REBOOT NOW, and the BOTTOM-UP TALKS.
The REBOOT project focused on the prevention of gender-based violence in schools following Covid lockdowns, and brought together young people from six advisory boards in Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus.
REBOOT experiences and lessons learnt (English and Italian).
Members have also represented youth at the European Parliament on issues of gender-based violence prevention and developed training materials on comprehensive sexuality education (LOVE ACT). Additionally, they have participated in workshops and attended conferences and training across Europe.
Being part of Palermo's YAB
“The YAB is extremely important because it represents a bridge between adults and youth, says YAB member Virginia. "During the project REBOOT NOW, I could experience the impact and potential of the YAB when we were talking about our engagement to other peers: they were extremely interested and touched by its ambition. I can also see that a lot of young people still need to be informed about violence, social interactions, sexuality and consent and that is why the YAB is point of contact between existing knowledge and dynamics and their potential growth and development. The YAB is a connection between past, present and future in terms of topics and generations.”
If you’re interested in the YAB's activities, contact Ludovica.leotti@cesie.org.