Youth Consultations - How was it done in Brazil?

Young people from across the world have been engaging in our Youth Consultations! Our Youth Consultations are a space for young people to come together, reflect discuss their futures. We want to hear your proposed solutions to transform our area into safer and sustainable spaces, considering topics such as health, environment, human rights, equality, poverty and other issues related to road safety and mobility. What issues do you face on the road? What could make your journeys safer? What needs to change?

Young people from Brazil recently completed a Youth Consultation using the simple Step-by-Step Guide. We caught up with consultation leader Thaigo Gruner to get insight into how the consultation was set up and what made it successful.

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Where did you conduct your Youth Consultation?  
The youth consultation was conducted at Porto Alegre, at the Vida Urgente offices.

Where did you find your participants?
Volunteers and partners of the NGO.

How did you bring them together?
By personal invitation.

What were the major issues identified by the group?
People don’t use a bicycle as much as they would want to due to a lack of public safety and infrastructure. Pedestrians also don’t feel safe due to a lack of big enough sidewalks and appropriate crossings (both in the outskirts and in the city centre). Finally, public bus users don’t use the system as much as they would want to due to the city’s insecurity, high prices and poor planning of the lines and lack of information.

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What were the solutions identified?
Reducing cars’space on streets, improving (enlarging) sidewalks and increasing crossings. Information on bus stops would be an easy and chep solution.

What went well?  
Ambiance was great and everybody had something to say about the subject!

What was the youth’s commitment to safe mobility?
Raise awareness to the fact that things can be different, as some of us had already presented to the municipality a version of the city’s Mobility Plan that has to be soon approved. Also, further use active modals and walk.

Top tips for other young people wanting to conduct youth consultations?
On one side, relax, have a good time. On another one, take it seriously by imagining as if you would be being heard by the decision makers of your area; you have the right to claim your space!

Any final words about the consultation? Did you enjoy it?
Did you enjoy it? We all did! Thinking about repeating it!