Dutch National Youth Council (DNYC)

The Dutch National Youth Council (DNYC) is an umbrella organisation that represents 43 member organisations, ranging from an organisation for rural youth, to student organisations, to organisations for youth and sexuality. The DNYC strives to empower youth from all over the Netherlands. It is constituted on the firm believe that everyone has something to offer and can use their strengths to help themselves and others. As a national youth organisation the DNYC represents other youth organisations in the Netherlands and links them to relevant actors in the field. Furthermore it offers multiple projects (such as regional and national debates, guest lectures, and funding of small neighbourhood initiatives) to empower all Dutch youth, and offers projects to start discussions on difficult subjects such as mental health or xenophobia. Furthermore it actively advocates the importance of the voice of youth to policymakers and strives to include young people in the early beginnings of policy making.