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Making Change When Change is Hard

2024-1-RO01-KA152-YOU-0002301902024Mobility of young peopleongoingGood practice
Countries: RO|SK|LT · Grant: €34,513
Democracy and inclusive democratic participationMedia literacy and tackling disinformationEuropean identity and values

Objectives

Our project aimed to improve civic education and deepen young people's understanding of democratic principles in Romania, Lithuania and Slovakia. Given the evolving nature of democracy, the increasingly important role of the media in shaping political engagement, and the upcoming elections in 2024, we identified a strong need to equip young people with the tools to critically analyze and participate in democratic processes. In the run-up to the project, voter demobilization remained a pressing problem, particularly among young people. In Romania, for example, voter turnout in the 2020 parliamentary elections was only 31.84% nationwide, and youth turnout was even lower at 25%. A survey also showed that many young people questioned the effectiveness of democracy, with some even expressing openness to alternative models of governance under certain conditions. Similarly, in Lithuania and Slovakia, challenges in civic education were evident, ranging from educational barriers limiting access to civic knowledge in Lithuania to a lack of trust in political institutions and marginalization of civic education in Slovakia. To address these challenges, our project focused on three key objectives: 1. Increasing young people's interest in political topics among 30 young people in Romania, Lithuania and Slovakia by the end of the project. 2. Creating an inclusive dialogue and reducing political stigmatization among 30 young people from Romania, Lithuania and Slovakia by the end of the project. 3. To improve knowledge about democratic processes among 30 young people from Romania, Lithuania and Slovakia by the end of the project. Objectives 1 and 2 were achieved through the implementation of the project mobility and by involving participants in interactive activities, hands-on experiences, debates, role plays and discussions. They participated in structured debates and case-study based discussions, practiced engaging in civil discourse, even on polarizing topics, which contributed to a significant change of perspective, with many acknowledging an increased openness to diverse political views. All activities and discussions were designed to support political tolerance and constructive dialogue, providing a safe space for diverse opinions. Objective 3 was achieved by engaging participants in simulations, civic action planning and structured discussions, which helped them to better understand how democracy works in practice and how they can actively contribute to political life. To make the learning experience tangible, participants engaged in election simulations and policy analysis exercises that helped them better understand how political decisions are made and how they can have an impact. Our partners have helped us to streamline this project and bring it to a successful conclusion. Our Slovakian partner, Trailblazers, brought expertise in combining sport, culture and civic engagement, which enriched our activities and fostered leadership skills among participants. The Lithuanian partner, Youth on the Move, provided strong support in terms of civic awareness training and community-based initiatives, ensuring that the lessons learned during the project were applicable beyond the mobility itself. Participants showed an increased interest in political involvement, with many participants reporting that they felt more responsible in terms of voting, civic activism and engagement in public life. The evaluation form carried out at the end of the project indicated that participants felt more confident in discussing political issues, had more trust in democratic institutions and were more motivated to take part in civic initiatives in their home countries.

Project partners (3)