Leisure time and participation
Leisure time and voluntary work are primarily the responsibility of the local authorities in the Netherlands. The way young people spend their leisure time has changed dramatically over the past decades. One important change is that where in earlier times many leisure time activities took place in public places – in the street or on the sports field – and often involved other people, today leisure time activities are far more individual in nature.
Participation policy is aimed at enabling young people to develop into independent and socially committed citizens, so they can function effectively at school, work and society in general. The Ministry for Youth and Families will introduce an annual youth award to the municipality with the best youth participation initiative. It will also set up an agreement with municipalities on ways to promote youth participation.
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