Our member Udruga Zaželi from Croatia has successfully completed the European project BETYLI (Beyond Tokenism: Youth Leading Inclusion), which over 18 months developed free educational and digital tools for recognising and preventing tokenism. As coordinator, Udruga Zaželi led a partnership of organisations from Croatia, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands, and we are pleased to share the project’s results with our network.
Tokenism refers to situations in which young people or members of underrepresented groups are included only formally – present at meetings, consulted, or visible in promotional materials – while key decisions are still made without them. The tools developed through BETYLI help organisations recognise and overcome this gap between presence and real influence.
Available Tools
Inclusion Index Calculator – a digital self-assessment tool that evaluates an organisation’s inclusiveness across six areas, from representation and participation to accessibility and organisational impact. After completing the assessment, the organisation receives a score and personalised recommendations for improvement. Available in multiple languages.
Inclusion Toolkit – a practical guide for combating tokenism, with ready-to-use workshops, methods, reflection activities, and tips for working with diverse groups of young people, including young people with a migrant background, deaf young people, and other underrepresented groups.
eLearning Programme “Tokenism vs. Authentic Inclusion” – an interactive online course with video materials, case studies, quizzes, and self-reflection tasks. Participants who score at least 70% on the final test receive a personalised certificate.
Decoding Influence – Participation Simulator – a tool that uses 15 scenarios to analyse how much real influence young people have on an organisation’s decisions, based on Hart’s Ladder of Participation, and provides concrete recommendations for increasing their impact.
All tools are free of charge and intended for organisations, youth workers, educators, and young people themselves.
Access the tools here: https://www.tokenism-project.eu/
About the Project
BETYLI was implemented by a partnership of four organisations from Croatia, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands: Udruga Zaželi (coordinator), Caribbean Education and Culture Foundation, Asociación Pilcrow, and Youth Power Germany e.V. Udruga Zaželi is an organisation dedicated to the inclusion of persons with disabilities and people with fewer opportunities.
Over the course of the project, more than 100 young people and youth workers took part in training activities in Croatia, Germany, Spain, and Sint Maarten, while 40 organisations signed the Declaration on Authentic Inclusion and joined the International Network for Genuine Inclusion, which will continue operating beyond the project’s end.