The project’s objectives were mainly two: one educational and one focused on active participation. The educational objective had a dual value. On the one hand, it aimed to provide participants with the knowledge and awareness necessary to build their own defensive tools against labour exploitation and unethical practices in the workplace. On the other hand, it sought to establish a solid foundation of labour law knowledge upon which to build the active participation component of the project, namely the co-design of the FYLL label. At the same time, envisioning an active participation tool such as the FYLL label aimed to enable the young participants to actively contribute to change, feel like protagonists of a shared initiative, and take part in the conception, development, and distribution of a device designed by young people, for the protection of young people and workers. The project therefore intended to equip young people — whether employed or seeking employment — not only with a personal system of defense against unfair practices in the workplace, but also with the awareness and opportunity to mobilize together and act to create change within their own communities.
The project originates from Didaxé’s observation of its own audience and users. Didaxé operates in Campania, in the province of Caserta, both in the provincial capital and in the town of Cellole. This territory experiences a highly complex employment situation, with an extremely high percentage of NEETs (10 points above the national average, which stands at 24%) and youth unemployment reaching 50%. At the same time, there are very high rates of undeclared and “grey” work (that is, work that is formally contracted for fewer hours than those actually performed). The idea behind the project was to equip participants — young people between the ages of 18 and 30 — with tools to defend themselves against labor exploitation. These tools were identified in two main activities: training and participation. Without training in labor law, it is impossible to defend oneself against exploitation; without active participation, it is impossible to imagine real change in society. Sharing this vision with two other organizations, Odyssea and Projecteka, led to the creation of FYLL – Fair Youth Labour Label.