The WYDE Civic Engagement Youth Advisory Board is the highest youth engagement body in the project. Its members are young beneficiaries from our activities, recruited for a one-year mandate to advise the management team, take part in the steering committees with the European Commission and occasionally represent the project in external events.
Ana Paula is a consultant on digital transformation for local governments and for projects in development and democracy. She has an MPA in Innovation, Public Policy, and Public Value from UCL in London, UK. Ana has worked in different civil society organizations for more than 5 years, in roles as Project Manager for democracy and civic participation projects, and as Product Owner for social digital platforms.
In 2021, Ana Paula ran for office for the Asunción City Council, where she presented proposals for new public spaces, social development, and digitalisation and transparency, topics that she is passionate about.
She was a member of the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) in 2023/2024 for the WYDE Civic Engagement project at EPD; where she also represents the organisation Alma Cívica from Paraguay. Alma Cívica works with citizens, especially youth, on civic participation and urbanism projects, and helps train politicians, civil servants, and citizens who want to pursue a political journey. In 2022, Ana Paula launched the School of Politics and Public Leadership, where there are currently diverse training programmes for City Council Members, aspiring Mayors, and citizens who wish to run for office.
Ana Paula is passionate about coordinating digital and data-driven development projects, working with projects that foster better democracies, leading teams, and re-imagining possibilities through collaboration and collective intelligence.
The Youth Advisory Board is the main component of the youth engagement strategy of the project, ensuring that young people have a say in the implementation of the project.