What do rural young people aspire to, and do they have at least basic leadership skills? Do they want – and are they able – to actively engage in community life? Our team presented a comprehensive study on youth policy and leadership in rural areas of Ukraine’s Danube Region (Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zakarpattia, and Odesa regions) in Sarajevo at a partners’ meeting of the SMILE Incubator project.
What conclusions did the experts reach?
The first is paradoxical: rural youth are more digitally engaged than urban youth, yet they overcome barriers mainly through personal determination rather than support.
The second is a gap: in rural areas, young men and women are active online but disconnected from formal institutions – 94% donate online, but only 7% have joined youth councils.
The third is a risk: our most successful regions in leadership development are also losing this potential due to migration.
Notably, the highest levels of civic engagement and life satisfaction are found in the Ivano-Frankivsk region. At first glance, this seems like a success. At the same time, this region shows the highest propensity for migration – 6.0 out of 10 points. Nearly half of rural youth do not see their future in rural areas: we are developing leadership potential but not creating local opportunities to retain it.
About 60% of rural young people see themselves as future leaders, yet nearly 80% want to improve their public speaking skills; over 60% need digital leadership tools; and 60% want to strengthen their project management skills. The gap is obvious: they have basic digital literacy and know how to use Instagram and Telegram – but only 40% use these tools professionally. Seventy-five percent have never organized an online petition. There is a divide between consumption and creation, between engagement and leadership.
Recommendations were developed for the SMILE Incubator project. For example: use platforms that young people already use (Telegram, TikTok, Instagram) to inform them about formal opportunities; transform basic use of digital tools into professional competencies; connect online and offline activities; and create local opportunities to stop the outflow of top talent.
Official Webpage: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/smile-incubator
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/smile-incubator-a3709335b
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575110481138
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