From Braga to Lisbon: Exploring youth policy practices in Portugal

In early November, Mariia Kuznietsova, Deputy Director for International Cooperation at the Zaporizhzhia City Development Institute, participated in a working visit to Portugal as part of the Lviv — European Youth Capital 2025 national programme.

Zaporizhzhia shares this title with Lviv, and it is a great honour for our team to represent the city internationally, collaborate with Ukrainian partners, and learn from leading European practices in youth policy.

The visit included an intensive program of meetings in Braga and Lisbon with municipalities, youth centers, national agencies, schools, and non-governmental organizations. The delegation learned about the work of the Braga Youth Centre, the Gnration creative hub, the Startup Braga initiatives, as well as the award-winning school project Tu Decides! under the youth participatory budgeting program.

In Lisbon, the delegation met with the Portuguese National Youth Council, the National Agency Erasmus+ Youth & European Solidarity Corps, the National Federation of Youth Associations, the Lisbon Youth Centre, and the Museum of the Presidency of the Republic. Meetings and discussions focused in particular on youth participation in decision-making, sustainable management models, and international mobility programmes.

This visit marked an important step in strengthening international cooperation, developing youth policy, and integrating European instruments into Zaporizhzhia’s local context. The City Development Institute of Zaporizhzhia extends its sincere gratitude to its Portuguese partners for their openness and continued commitment to cooperation.