Welcome to the fourth release in our series Discover DUST, where we spotlight each of the partners in the project and share their roles and interests in Democratising Just Sustainability Transitions! Today, we introduce another key partner in the project: Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege Brandenburg (Brandenburg Welfare Foundation).
Under the umbrella of the Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege Brandenburg, the Kompetenzzentrum für Kinder- und Jugendbeteiligung Brandenburg (KiJuBB) (Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Participation Brandenburg) advises on issues of child and youth participation throughout Brandenburg, Germany. Brandenburg is an important region in Germany, surrounding the capital Berlin and together forming the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. The work of KiJuBB and the Stiftung Wohlfahrtspflege Brandenburg plays an important role in the region, to bring the voices of the young into conversations regarding their futures.
The Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Participation (KiJuBB) focuses on four areas: the specialist unit for child and youth participation, the specialist unit for participation in educational assistance (HzE), the area of child and youth committees and the youth forum on sustainability (JuFoNa). A major focus of KiJuBB's work is to support children's and youth committees (children's and youth advisory councils, children's and youth parliaments, youth forums) in Brandenburg and their leaders in implementing their participatory rights. In addition, KiJuBB supports individuals and networks, providing qualification and guidance to child and youth representatives and the pedagogical experts. In addition to municipalities, districts, providers and institutions, young people themselves are the most important target group of the work and KiJuBB
In the DUST project, KiJuBB contributes vast expertise on youth engagement in the Lusatia region to ensure that the voices of the young are heard in decision-making processes. Drawing on their own experiences, and by collaborating with other partners in the project, the aim is to create spaces where young people can express their interests, opinions, ideas, and aspirations regarding sustainable development. Equally, KiJuBB's knowledge on social welfare and community engagement will help to develop effective strategies that address the challenges of transition processes and youth participation. Considering the range of least engaged groups across the region, the aim is to reach young people who are marginalized because of additional markers like financial resources, neighborhood or migratory backgrounds, ensuring an intersectional approach do community and youth engagement.
The participation of children and young people is indispensable for the transition towards a sustainable future!