They started from a question that, all of a sudden, could well be a source of anxiety in a generation raised between crises. “As a young person living in Barcelona, what would you need to carry out your life project in the city?” It was launched by the mayor herself, who this Thursday presided over the institutional act in which the consistory has returned to the 99 Barcelonans between 16 and 28 years old who have participated in the first Youth Forum BCN. After studying the document prepared after months of reflection in response to LA -thus, in capital letters-, question, the municipal government has committed to promoting 20 of the 22 proposals presented by the participantschosen in a draw that was made following criteria of social diversity and gender parity.
Among the recommendations born in the Forum that the consistory – promoter of the same – has become its own, or at least has announced it, is improve communication aimed at young people to publicize more effectively and make existing municipal resources more accessible – a measure humorously baptized by the children as ‘Let’s break the boomer language‘- or extend the services of mental health, one of the demands shouted from the rooftops by a broken generation that is no longer ashamed to speak of tears, but not that he resigns himself to a sad existence.
material conditions of life
Communication and mental health, two key concepts for young people who are very aware of many of the causes that cause this emotional fragility in his generation. “That we leave our eyebrows studying and not find work, or find jobs so poorly paid that they do not allow us to emancipate ourselves in a city with unaffordable rents, takes its toll on our mental health, crystal generation nothing“, summarized -with different words and accents, but the same essence- several of the participants in this pioneer experience of citizen participation no history in the city.
Mental health problems are a direct or indirect consequence of structural violence
The proposal ‘Let’s bring light to the darkness’ -the text has preserved the youth wording to avoid falling into ‘boomer’ language- was approved with 75% of the votes and recommends working to promote coordination, communication and creation of joint plans between entities and administrations. The young editors of the text underline what should be evident: “many of the problems of mental health They are a direct or indirect consequence of the structural violence that goes beyond the city council -labour, discrimination, in education, police, public health care…- and to reverse them, all administrations must be involved”, they put on the table with the will that all the work done during these months not just be a nice declaration of intent.
Barcelona will allocate 30% of all new public housing under construction to young people
In the same section – this is one of the issues that has been discussed the most in these six months of joint reflection – the Forum claims “Mandatory mental health.” Recommendation that has also received the approval of the municipal government like practically all of them. “On the one hand, we will urge the Generalitat, through the National Mental Health Pact, to include himmental health as a mandatory element to be dealt with in the educational system, which is who has the competence, and, on the other hand, we will reinforce the deployment of existing emotional support services”, states the document with which the city council has responded to the work of young people. Thus, Barcelona will expand emotional attention points like the spaces Konsulta’m and Konsulta’m+22 and will create a new whatsapp channel available 24 hours a day, 356 days a year to offer support to young people who need to contact him.
The complete document of urgent measures also points out that “College isn’t everything.” In the municipal response, it is ensured that it is supported “In a global form” the recommendation, and that this will be incorporated into the “actions already existing in this line”. There are currently several programs such as the campaign inform’t of the infoJOVE services, the Professional Life Project of Barcelona Activa or the information and guidance devices of the Education Consortium. Some campaigns, closing the circle, that the consistory undertakes to try “communicate betterr” to youth.
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The (difficult) access to housing
As for the access to housing -another of the great pending subjects and historical demand, generation after generation- the council responds that it is building “more public housing than ever” -something that was not difficult either- and that of all the promotions under way, will allocate 30% of the homes to young people. They also undertake to promote (controversial) measures such as the youth voucher for rental aid, as a guarantee against owners who cede flats to the Municipal Rental Exchange and thus increase the avenues of access for young people to a public and affordable housing.