We originally wanted to implement a project with North Caucasian region, which is one of the most densely populated region of Russian Federation. Moreover, it is one of culturally and religiously most diverse parts of the world. Many of its regions are dealing with or recovering from violent conflict. Moreover, the region is a place for frequent human rights violations. The region has a large population of youth, but faces challenges with globalisation versus the strength of local cultures. The youth would have largely benefit from European cooperation. Due to political situation of the region local youth work lacks resources and is often voluntary-based. This would have maximised the good impact an international training can have on youth workers. Due to location and economic situation travels abroad are rare in the specific region. Thus, training, meeting and best practice sharing with international colleagues is exceptionally effective in the region. The project partners wanted to share best practices in four themes: youth empowerment, intersectionality (gender equality and world view dialogue) and support of young activists through social media. These topics are the expertise of representatives of partner organisations, and additionally in need in this specific region in Russia. North Caucasus has a large population of young people, but it lacks possibilities for education and employment, thus the theme of youth empowerment. As a region holding long-lasting traditions, often including stereotypes of gender, youth workers lack opportunities to gain competence to foster gender equality. Furthermore, as a region recovering from conflict, the role of women is special as care-takers, mourners for falling men and thus often activists. As stated before, Caucasia is one of the most culturally diverse places on Earth, thus the world view dialogue aspect of the project. Not only can RKI provide practicalities of the dialogue, it can learn a lot from local intercultural setting. Last but not least, in such a political setting Russia is now, activism in social media has a special meaning. Cooperation with neighbouring region is one of important aspects of Erasmus+ Programme. Nowadays cooperation of North Caucasian region with neighbouring European Union has room for growth. This project looks to establish cooperation of European organisations already actively participating in Erasmus+ programme with North Caucasian organisations who look for cooperation. Representatives of organisations on both sides will meet each other and be trained on organisational work in context of Erasmus+. After the project all organisations are expected to continue cooperating through more specific follow-up projects. This project meets several expected outcomes of Erasmus+ programme, beneficial for participants on both sides of EU border. Most importantly this project fosters empowerment, improved learning abilities and employability, improved language abilities (English for Russian participants and Russian for those of European participants who speak the language), better awareness of European project and values and most importantly, enhanced intercultural awareness. We were prepared to face many challengies when implementing the project. After frequent communication and looking for possiobilites of Bulgarian and Finnish youth workers to visit the region during 2019-2020, the situation got worst from bad. in 2019 the security situation worsened and it was very difficult or even impossible to get visas for visits in North Caucasus. Then there was a pandemia and then in 2022 when we finally thought it could be possible to meet in person (if not in Northern Caucasus, maybe in St Petersburg) a conflict escalated. Before we got everything organised again, Russia started a war in Ukraine and it became impossible to organise mobilities with Russian organisations and activist. Thus we applied for change in project regional focus and thus with partners , which National Agency of Finland approved. The Russia's invasion of Ukraine placed Europe and European youth, youth work, peace and security suddenly into a completely new context. To put it simply, as the attack made securitization and militarization a mainstream concern, it also accentuated existing dynamics of polarization at societal level and played in existing situations of radicalization and extremism. The attack also evoked anti-Russian feelings and old prejudices and narratives of enemies that have long history from past generations due the 1st and 2nd World War as well as the Cold War/Soviet Union in Europe. Concerns are particularly acute in countries, where there are big Ukrainian and Russian speaking minorities present. We wanted to tackle those issues and in particular with countries with geograpfic closeness and historical experience with having Russia as unpredictable neighbour.