YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING. CASE STUDY OF KUTNÁ HORA (2019-2020)

Participatory budgeting (PB) allows citizens to be a part of the decision-making processes on public money expenditure. It increases citizens ‘participation in public affairs, strengthens deliberation and engagement. Active participation can strengthen the role of the citizen, and in addition it can create a common knowledgebase of collective issues and help to prevent and solve power centralisation, leading to a democratic and equal society. In the academic literature, PB is often referred to as “traveling policy innovation”, and since the original case in Porto Alegre, it has taken a path that originated in values such as reduction of corruption and empowerment of marginalized groups. Nevertheless, there is currently a lively academic discussion about PB it lacks a connection of its impacts on youth segment in general. The aim of this case study of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic, where the youth segment was included into the process. In this case not only students at high schools but also primary schools’ students with organizational help of student’s councils were participating in the budget allocation decision process and such contributed to the innovative and inclusive local government. Paper gives an overview of PB process creation and its structure in Kutná Hora that led to youth engagement on local level (local PB).