We want to carry out the RUPE project because European youth shows worrying signs of a weakening democratic commitment and increasing vulnerability to polarization. In the 2024 European elections, turnout among under-25s fell to 36%, six points lower than in 2019. This figure reflects a growing disconnection between young people and formal democratic processes. While many young people declare their intention to participate, a significant number report little interest in politics or voting, highlighting gaps in civic trust that mobility and non-formal education can help address directly. Attitudes towards democracy reinforce this concern. The Young Europe 2025 study by TUI Stiftung shows that only 57% of young people aged 16–26 prefer democracy over other systems, with even lower numbers in Spain and France (around 51–52%). Alarmingly, one in five respondents stated that an authoritarian regime could be acceptable under certain circumstances. These figures highlight the urgent need to strengthen peace education, historical literacy, and critical thinking skills so that young people understand both the risks of authoritarianism and the value of democratic institutions. The international context adds further challenges. The Global Peace Index 2024 reports the widest gap in sixteen years between the most peaceful and least peaceful countries, reflecting a significant deterioration of global peace. Young people, who are constantly exposed to global digital narratives, perceive this climate of instability in their daily lives. This translates into increased risks of disinformation, manipulation, and polarization. If these risks are not countered through structured intercultural learning experiences and spaces for collective reflection, they can severely weaken democratic resilience and social cohesion. The RUPE project responds to these challenges by offering young people meaningful opportunities for travel, dialogue, and non-formal education. Through shared experiences on symbolic European routes —the Comet Line, linked to resistance and freedom, and the Baltic Chain, associated with peaceful unity— participants will reflect on the importance of democracy, the fragility of peace, and their active role in protecting these values for the future. Problems and needs in Spain 1) Deficit in historical memory: The Civil War and the dictatorship are not addressed in depth in school curricula, leaving many young people without solid reference points to interpret the recent past. This absence facilitates the spread of disinformation and myths that distort the understanding of democracy and peace. 2) Political disengagement and democratic fatigue: Low youth electoral participation, combined with the perception that institutions do not represent their interests, feeds a crisis of confidence in democracy and an attraction to authoritarian models. 3) Exposure to radical discourses and disinformation: On social networks and digital platforms, young people are constantly exposed to polarized, extremist, or revisionist narratives. Without critical skills, they are particularly vulnerable to ideological manipulation. 4) Lack of meaningful non-formal learning opportunities: Formal education does not always connect with young people’s interests or offer experiential learning spaces. It is necessary to complement it with projects that link mobility, historical memory, intercultural dialogue, and personal reflection. Project objectives - Strengthen young people’s historical awareness and collective memory through non-formal learning experiences that connect symbolic routes of resistance (Comet Line) and peaceful unity (Baltic Chain). - Foster critical thinking and media literacy skills, enabling participants to identify and counter disinformation and polarized discourses. - Guarantee the inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities through logistical, linguistic, economic, and mentoring support that removes barriers to access. - Promote civic engagement and trust in democratic institutions, through spaces for dialogue, collective reflection, and multiplier activities after the mobility. - Create a multiplier impact in local communities, with the production of materials and dissemination activities (exhibitions, school talks, videos, digital publications) that make the project’s lessons visible and foster debate on peace and historical memory.