CIVIL INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION AS AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT IN WORKING WITH YOUTH

Abstract. An important factor for successful development of civic society and socio-cultural processes is the involvement of young people in making socially important decisions. These are young people who have to resolve problems that directly affect them, and other participants should support them, but not order what to do. The aim of the article is to investigate civil involvement and participation as an important instrument of the work with youth. On the basis of literature sources analysis the article determines that civic engagement and participation is the involvement of young people in volunteer and community activities, increase of youth participation in decision making processes, creation of advisory board, formation of enabling mechanisms for the implementation of civic education etc. There are many forms of youth participation in public decision-making processes: participation in elections; social councils; public hearings; local initiatives; participation in the activities of civil society organizations; youth social projects; interest clubs; peer-to-peer networking etc. Youth participation can also be viewed as a form of youth-adult partnership. The advantage of partnership between young people and adults is that it benefits from the young people's skills and talents, as well as from the experience and knowledge of adults. The article determines that civic engagement among young people can be developed with the introduction of civic education. Civic education helps young people to be well-informed active citizens involved in policy-making and democratic governance. In order to work with young people effectively it has been suggested to improve their participation in democratic structures and processes, expressing of opinions with the help of advisory boards formed at the organs of local self-government from the youth representatives for advising, development and realization of youth politics at local level. Therefore youth councils creation is an effective form of youth participation in addressing issues that directly affect young people