What happens when young people are not just observers of the problems in their community, but actively identify, document and propose solutions to them?
This was the goal of the youth initiative “MAP AND ACT – Youth Advocacy for a Clean and Responsible Municipality”, implemented during July and August 2026 in the Municipality of Shuto Orizari, as part of the partnership project “ZZZ – Together for Green Advocacy for Environmental Protection.”
From a Problem to an Initiative
The initiative aimed to encourage young people to actively engage in identifying local environmental challenges, as well as in developing proposals for addressing them.
One of the key issues the young participants focused on was illegal dumping sites – a problem that directly affects the appearance of the community, the quality of the environment, and the creation of a healthy and safe place to live.
Instead of simply talking about the problem, the young people went into the field to explore it firsthand.
Mapping Illegal Dumping Sites
Through interactive workshops and fieldwork, the young participants had the opportunity to identify and document the locations of illegal dumping sites across the municipality.
Photography and mapping helped them look at the problem from a different perspective – not simply as something they encounter in their everyday lives, but as a concrete local challenge that can be documented, analysed and transformed into an initiative for change.
The process also enabled young people to develop practical knowledge and skills in youth participation, researching local problems and advocacy towards institutions.
From the Field to Local Government
An important part of the initiative was direct communication with the local government.
The young participants had the opportunity to share their findings and discuss possible solutions, ensuring that the process did not end with simply mapping the problem.
The goal was for their experiences, findings and proposals to become part of broader processes of youth participation and local advocacy.
In this way, young people were not simply those who pointed out the problem, but active participants in the conversation about how their municipality can become cleaner, more responsible and better maintained.
Seeing the Problem to Start the Change
The initiative concluded with an event in the local community, where photographs and maps documenting illegal dumping sites across the Municipality of Shuto Orizari were presented.
The exhibition provided an opportunity to share the results of the fieldwork with the wider community and make the problem more visible to those who experience its consequences every day.
“MAP AND ACT” showed that youth participation can begin with a simple step – noticing the problem around us. But real change begins when we turn that problem into an initiative, demand accountability and propose solutions.
Through initiatives like this, young people gain the space not only to be heard, but also to actively participate in shaping the communities they want to live in.
The initiative is part of the project “ZZZ – Together for Green Advocacy for Environmental Protection”, supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in North Macedonia / Government of Switzerland through Civica Mobilitas, in partnership with CMA KRIK, the Center for Social Initiatives “Nadez”, and the Association of Social Workers of Macedonia – ASWM.