The main goal of our project was to support young people and youth organisations in becoming more active in democratic life. We wanted to promote civic participation, European values, and cooperation between youth NGOs. Our specific objectives were: 1. To strengthen the capacity of the 5 participating NGOs to engage local youth and promote active citizenship. 2. To empower 15 youth leaders and youth workers (3 from each partner) with skills, tools, and knowledge to involve young people in democratic activities. 3. To raise awareness about the European Parliament Elections 2024 and the importance of active citizenship by organising youth conferences in all 5 partner countries. 4. To foster a stronger sense of European identity, citizenship, and values among young people. 5. To create 2 online campaigns and 4 webinars that share good practices, increase visibility, and engage a wider audience. 6. To organise a 7-day youth exchange for 25 participants, promoting civic action and intercultural learning. 7. To host a networking event with 20 youth NGO representatives to build connections and plan future cooperation.
We applied for this project because we saw that many young people do not feel part of democratic life. They often think that democracy only means voting in elections, and they do not know how they can get involved in other ways. We also noticed that some young people do not trust the political system or feel that their voice matters. At the same time, youth workers and youth organisations in our network wanted more tools and ideas to support young people in learning about democracy, participation, and European citizenship. We wanted to help them become active citizens, not just during elections, but also in their schools, cities, and communities. The project also came at an important time, just before the European Parliament elections. This gave us a great chance to raise awareness and support participation. Our goal was to make democracy more clear, practical, and close to young people’s everyday lives.