'Young people have plenty to offer for European Youth Capital bid' - says Daniel

Watching the television news or picking up some of the tabloid newspapers, it would be easy to get the impression that all anyone under the age of 21 does is hang around street corners looking menacing wearing hooded tops. But the truth is that Derry~Londonderry's young people have a lot to offer and playing their role in the city's regeneration. A recent event at the Junction on Bishop Street saw young people from across the Derry City Council area giving their views on the city's bid to become European Youth Capital 2013.

The 'Exhibition of Ideas' event provided an abundance of creative and original suggestions which will be factored into the Derry-Londonderry bid, which is due for submission on October 13.

Daniel Tarr of the North West Peace and Reconciliation Youth Forum was one of those in attendance and provides and eloquent insight into young people's perspectives on the city's regeneration. The 20-year-old already has five years of youth and voluntary work under his belt and the negative portrayal of young people in modern public discourse is something that grates with Prehen native.

"It's something that frustrates me, there are so many ideas and so much talent out there among young people and it just needs to be channelled," he said.

Stifled by a lack of youth provision in his own area, as a 15 year old Daniel showed the kind of unfettered drive and initiative that highlights just how much potential exists within the city's youth.

"In my area there wasn't much of a youth club or many activities for young people to get involved in, you had to go elsewhere to do that. I like to participate in things so I looked around and got involved," he said.

Daniel has been engaged in numerous projects in that intervening period and hasn't forgotten the reason he got involved in the first place.

"In the next year we are intending to get a petition to get a youth club up and running in Prehen, that's something I'm very involved in."

Daniel's current focus is on the Youth Forum's 'Make A Difference' campaign which is breaking down the barriers that exist between communities within the city.

"The 'Make a Difference' campaign that the Youth Forum are running at the minute is all about bringing people together, making them realise that we don't need to be divided and that together we can achieve a lot more. Our main focus is to create a peaceful society for everybody to live in and with the many different cultures that now exist here in the North West we are interested creating projects that bring people together," he said.

And Daniel is part of a group of young people from the Youth Forum who have just completed a training programme for Peer Group Leaders which will see future projects inspired by young people and led by young people.

"We've had a few conferences set up by young people for young people and they've worked well. I've attended youth conferences in the past that have been set up adults and sometimes they aren't as enjoyable. But if it's young people that are running events, then other young people who haven't been involved in youth work before can find it a bit easier to relate to and feel a bit more secure expressing themselves," he explained.

Daniel believes that the European Youth Capital would provide a focus on young people's issues and create a productive sense of engagement among the youth of the city

"The whole European Youth Capital project is about giving young people a voice, that's exactly what we're into. Too often you feel like young people are not being listened to and it's us who are the future of this city. We are the people who will feel the effects of what is happening today and we need to be involved when decisions are being made.

"Young people sometimes have a mindset that no matter what they say, they are not going to be listened too, but that's not the case. I think that our society has moved so far in the last 20 years that young people are beginning to be listened to and do have a voice in their community. But if we were to become European Youth Capital it would be a fantastic opportunity to have our voice heard even more. It would encourage young people to step forward and start taking part in things," he said.

And Daniel feels that the boost that success in the European Youth Capital project would provide a massive boost to the city at just the right time as it seeks to weather the recession.

"If Derry was named European Youth Capital it would be very exciting to see how that could change the city. You would have some much going on in the city in that year and we really need it. I know the recession has affected everywhere but it's hit Derry really badly. People maybe don't think it has an impact on young people, but it's affecting families and young people are not immune. We just want to find our feet again and get back up and running, the City of Culture was a great achievement and it would fantastic to get the European Youth Capital and all that it would bring.

"To be honest I'm not sure people realise the potential benefits of events like the European Youth Capital, hopefully we can get the message out there. Once people became aware of the City of Culture they really got behind it and it would be great to see the same thing happening with European Youth Capital," he said.