“Citizenship Academy”: First Training Held for Foreign-Born Youth

On October 25th, the Nemenčinė Culture Centre hosted the “Citizenship Academy” training, bringing together young foreign residents from Belarus, India, Ukraine, Pakistan, Albania, and Nigeria.

“During these meetings, young people from different corners of the world can not only gain knowledge but also openly express their concerns and needs. Challenges related to housing, work, or language aren't just personal problems – these are the realities of integration on a national scale. Through dialogue and activities with foreign-born youth, we aim to reduce these challenges and activate youth involvement, thus creating a Vilnius District open to cultural diversity,” says Vytautas Vansavičius, Director of the Administration of the Vilnius District Municipality.

“This event is not only the first event for foreign-born youth in the Vilnius District but essentially the first event dedicated to foreign-born individuals overall. First steps are always more complicated, but when we talk about a young and growing Vilnius District, we cannot forget the young foreigners who study, work, and build lives alongside us, whose voices often remain unheard,” said Gabriela Mickevič-Jara, Coordinator for the Integration of Foreign-Born Residents of Lithuania, emphasizing the significance of the event.

During the event, participants:

• Learned about the activities of the Public Institution “World Citizens Academy” and the project “Citizenship Academy: Building Inclusive and Diverse European Societies through the Civic Participation of Young Migrants”, including the differences in integration between partner countries.
• Were introduced to the Vilnius District Municipality Youth Affairs Council’s activities by Ieva Jakubėnaitė, Vice-Chairperson of the Vilnius District Municipality Youth Affairs Council.
• Were informed about the activities of the upcoming project “Bridges of Nations: Integration Services for Foreign-Born Residents in Vilnius District”.
• Discussed major challenges at both the local and global level, including migration, the climate crisis, and geopolitics.
• Learned more about social, civil, and political rights in Lithuania and Europe, as well as the challenges associated with them.
• Explored ways to become more actively involved in Lithuania's social and civil life.

The event also provided a space for participants to discuss their personal integration stories, the positive aspects of life in Lithuania, and the challenges they have faced or are currently facing.

During the meeting, the youth expressed concern about frequent issues such as finding work or housing, discrimination based on nationality, and accessing public sector services.

The lack of quality Lithuanian language courses remains a current issue, and considering the obligation for foreigners to pass the Lithuanian language exam, there is also a shortage of exam venues. It was emphasized that students arriving in Lithuania often physically lack time to balance studying, working, learning Lithuanian, and integrating into society, which negatively affects not only the quality of their study results but also their psychological well-being.

The young people expressed a desire to participate in a greater number of events intended for both  foreigners and locals, to better get to know the local community, culture, traditions, and way of life. The youth also showed great interest in the Lithuanian political system. “I live in Lithuania, I spend every day here, but I feel like I barely grasp what is happening in the country's politics. I try to read and learn as much as possible, but I realize that I lack knowledge of the cultural and historical aspects that are important for understanding what is happening in the country today,” said one of the event participants.

As part of the project, additional sessions for foreign-born youth are planned for November and December. Information about them will be available on the Vilnius District Municipality's Facebook page and on the website vrsa.lt.

The Citizenship School is part of the international project “Citizenship Academy: Building Inclusive and Diverse European Societies through the Civic Participation of Young Migrants”, funded by the EU Erasmus+ programme. In Lithuania, the school is co-organised by Global Citizens’ Academy and Vilnius District Municipality.

“Citizenship Academy: Building Inclusive and Diverse European Societies through the Civic Participation of Young Migrants” is a joint initiative of four partners: PI “World Citizens Academy" (Lithuania), “Jovesolides” (Spain), “COPE” (Italy), and “VogalOrizontal” (Portugal), with the aim of empowering foreign-born youth to become more involved in the social and civic life of local communities and states.

Thanks to the project, 40 young foreign-born individuals with residence permits in Lithuania will be able to participate in a 40-hour course. It will introduce the historical context of Lithuania and promote stronger local community involvement, leadership, and active engagement. The goal of this project is the empowerment of migrant youth, the promotion of activism, and the fostering of the democratic values of the European Union.