The project aimed to empower young Europeans to actively shape democratic, peaceful communities both online and offline, following the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027 principles: engage, empower, connect. Specifically, we aimed to: Train 12 young EU citizens (19–24) to build youth-led communities based on peace, non-violence, and non-discrimination, enhancing their relational and civic skills. Promote direct youth participation in political and negotiation processes, including peacebuilding, by fostering dialogue with public authorities and stakeholders. Amplify youth voices by enabling them to contribute to policy reforms, create recommendations, and take part in decision-making processes. Raise awareness among young people and youth NGOs on peace-building, democratic participation, and community engagement. Additionally, the project addressed the digital dimension by promoting safe online spaces. Through training, national "Hubs of Dialogue," and a communication campaign targeting 20,000 people, we aim to strengthen youth leadership in shaping a peaceful, inclusive Europe.
We applied to tackle the low civic engagement of youth online, despite high internet usage. Eurostat 2021 data show that 95% of EU youth aged 20–24 are daily internet users, but only 11% engage in civic or political activities online. Young people, though digitally active, use the internet mainly for entertainment and lack safe, inclusive spaces for democratic participation. The pandemic also amplified the spread of fake news, further distancing youth from civic engagement. Our needs analysis revealed a clear demand to empower youth with skills to build peaceful, democratic online communities. The project supports youth participation in decision-making, fosters dialogue with institutions, and strengthens youth-led initiatives during the post-pandemic recovery. It is fully aligned with the missions of the partner organisations, already active in cross-border initiatives promoting active citizenship, peacebuilding, and digital literacy. Through tailored activities, we aim to create a sustainable, engaged, and empowered European youth network.