Society is ours’ is an activity for 21 youth workers from seven organisations that will take place in Antwerp, Flanders, on 26-29 March 2020, coordinated by IFM-SEI, an international socialist educational youth umbrella organisation. The four-day training will explore the topic of shrinking civil space and civil engagement, which came from the needs of our European members in response to current realities in Europe. The participating organisations will explore the realities in Europe in relation to the topic, share good practice, receive capacity building training, and come up with their own national action plans to combat shrinking civil society and promoting volunteering for democratic civic engagement. The objectives of the project are to: 1. Identify the importance of democratic participation and the voluntary sector in society on a national and European level 2. Explore the barriers that voluntary organisations face across Europe and come up with mechanisms to combat shrinking civil space 2. Analyse the realities of and barriers to volunteering, and share realities and good practice around volunteer recruitment and retention 3. Highlight the importance of civil society in promoting European values and promote civic engagement through non-formal education 4. Equip youth workers with core competences to be advocates and multipliers for civil society and civic engagement Civil society organisations are vital for working towards a more equal, just and sustainable world. Civil society acts as a critical voice to hold governments and policy makers to account, provides space for education and critical thinking, and puts democracy into action in our societies. Despite this, the space for civil society is shrinking around the Europe, and child and youth organisations are part of this. Whether because of governments cutting funding for voluntary organisations as a result of austerity agendas, because of anti-NGO legislation from right-wing governments attempting to shut down NGOs as they are seen as a threat, or because organisations are priced out of their meetings venues by the private and public sectors, civil society is at threat. Volunteering is being threatened due to challenges in recruiting and retaining volunteers because of the impact individuals are facing in their employment, financial situations and family life as a result of a more precarious and less supportive society. We are seeing a rapid increase in the gig economy and zero hours contracts, the decimation of the welfare state and the privatisation of public services and utilities such as education, healthcare, transport and energy, and this causes significant impact on how much one can commit to volunteering and civil engagement. When you have to take up extra jobs because to be able to pay your bills at the end of the month, or you need to decide whether to heat your home or put food on the table for your children, volunteering can no longer be a priority. As individualism is being promoted as a value in our societies, we are also losing the spirit of volunteering. This seminar will explore the importance of civil society and how democratic participation is vital to the good functioning of the European Union in protecting and safeguarding fundamental rights, as well as sharing and identifying methods to combat shrinking civil space and promote civic engagement through volunteering in non-formal children’s and youth organisations. Many organisations are facing similar obstacles, even if they manifest in different ways in different countries, and only through coming together on a European level and collaborate across borders can we find ways to combat the barriers facing us to enable a stronger civil society for current and future generations of youth.