Meet the new members of the LEADER Youth Community Steering Committee
The LEADER Youth Community has welcomed three new members to its Steering Committee: Maris Praats, Lana Chaduneli and Maciej Wachowski.
They bring experience from youth work, rural and community development, communication and international cooperation, as well as a shared interest in giving young people a meaningful role in local development.
Introducing the new Steering Committee members
Maris Praats is a communications specialist and community development practitioner from Estonia, with more than 10 years of experience in the youth field and volunteering. Today, she works as a Head of Communication, but a big part of her journey has been shaped by youth work, volunteering and community initiatives.
Her connection to local communities comes strongly through volunteering and working with young people. Over the years, she has been involved in youth organisations, community initiatives and international volunteering, including leading volunteer teams and organising projects and events. She has also worked closely with municipalities and local organisations, especially in smaller communities.
Maris is particularly interested in how young people can take initiative and have a meaningful role in developing the places they call home. In the LEADER Youth Community, Maris brings practical experience from youth work, volunteering, communication and community leadership. She would like to share her experience while learning from young people across Europe and bring “energy, curiosity and a willingness to make things happen.”
Lana Chaduneli is a rural development practitioner from Georgia and co-founder and CEO of the Georgian Association of Local Action Groups (GALAG). Through GALAG, she brings together Georgian LAGs and rural communities to amplify local voices, build stronger partnerships and connect grassroots experience with national and European rural development networks.
Lana first became involved with a Local Action Group at the age of 17 and has since been actively working on rural youth empowerment in Georgia and internationally. In the LEADER Youth Community, she wants to bring the perspective and experience of young people from Georgia and other non-EU rural contexts. She aims to help strengthen the voice of rural youth within the LEADER movement, create stronger connections between young people across Europe and turn youth participation into meaningful involvement in shaping local development.
Maciej Wachowski is a youth worker, trainer and coordinator of national and international projects from Poland. Since 2019, he has worked with young people through youth exchanges, training courses and projects focusing on youth participation, civic engagement and dialogue between young people and decision-makers. He currently works at the Amicus Foundation for Education and Development, focusing on non-formal education, youth projects and the development of educational materials.
Maciej’s connection to LEADER comes primarily from his work with young people, non-formal education and supporting the active participation of young people in local communities. He has also cooperated with four Local Action Groups in Poland. He believes that young people should be not only beneficiaries of local initiatives, but also their co-creators and active participants in development processes.
In the LEADER Youth Community, Maciej would like to bring energy for creating and testing new ideas. He is particularly interested in learning by doing, lifelong learning and methods such as design thinking. He also wants to share his experience, learn from others, discover different perspectives and work together on new solutions.
About the LEADER Youth Community
The LEADER Youth Community brings together young people connected to LEADER, Local Action Groups and rural development across Europe. It creates opportunities for young people to connect, exchange experiences and take an active role in rural development.
The Steering Committee meets regularly and contributes to organising webinars and activities, developing European projects, representing the community at European events, content creation and advocacy work. Members also share their ideas and contribute to the further development of the community.