The project “Decode Democracy” was designed in response to a need identified through youth work practice: supporting young people in understanding, critically analysing and actively engaging in contemporary democratic processes, in a context marked by the increasing digitalisation of political communication, the rapid circulation of content on social media, and the growth of phenomena such as disinformation, polarisation and hate speech. In daily work with young people, a recurring paradox is observed: although many young people consume political content online on a regular basis, they often feel disconnected from democratic processes, poorly represented, and insufficiently equipped to distinguish reliable information from manipulative content. This situation weakens their trust in democratic institutions and reduces their motivation to participate. From a youth work perspective, Decode Democracy aims to address this challenge by creating a safe, non-formal learning space centred on young people, where they can experiment, discuss, question and co-create learning based on their lived experiences and local realities. The project is grounded in the understanding that democratic participation goes beyond institutional mechanisms or voting alone and includes multiple forms of civic engagement, public debate and community action — particularly in the digital sphere — provided these are supported by critical thinking, ethical awareness, responsibility and respect for democratic values. The overall objective of the project is to empower young people as active, critical and informed citizens, capable of understanding current democratic dynamics, analysing political and media communication with discernment, and using digital tools ethically and responsibly to participate in democratic life. From a youth work practice point of view, this objective translates into strengthening young people’s autonomy, self-confidence, dialogue skills and sense of belonging to both their local communities and the European civic space. More specifically, the project aims to: (1) develop media and digital literacy, enabling young people to understand how political narratives, digital election campaigns and communication formats (e.g. micro-content, short videos, emotional storytelling) are constructed; (2) strengthen critical thinking and fact-checking skills, equipping participants to identify disinformation, manipulation, polarising language and discriminatory content, and to distinguish facts, opinions and propaganda; (3) promote inclusive democratic participation, encouraging young people to express informed opinions, engage in respectful debate and participate in civic initiatives at local and European level; (4) develop key transversal competences central to youth work, such as communication, intercultural cooperation, empathy, creativity, problem-solving, shared leadership and social responsibility; and (5) increase young people’s confidence in their capacity to act, reducing feelings of political apathy, powerlessness or exclusion from democratic processes. Methodologically, Decode Democracy is based on core principles of youth work, including experiential learning, active participation, peer learning, inclusion and continuous reflection. The project will apply non-formal learning methods such as structured debates, simulations of democratic processes, role-playing activities, analysis of real-life case studies (including recent examples of political and electoral communication across Europe), work in multinational teams and project-based learning. To ensure relevance and ownership, co-creation moments will be embedded throughout the programme, allowing participants to contribute to the definition of sub-topics, guiding questions and formats of outputs (e.g. key messages, awareness-raising content, educational materials). A central objective of the project is to connect learning with action, transforming knowledge into practice. Participants will therefore develop concrete, applicable and replicable outputs, such as simple fact-checking guides, digital awareness content, tools for youth groups and small-scale community actions. This approach reinforces the role of youth work as a bridge between learning, democratic participation and social impact. Finally, the project seeks to strengthen the capacity of youth work organisations to address democratic issues in a methodologically sound, accessible and youth-centred way, ensuring continuity beyond the mobility itself. Participants will return to their communities as multipliers, capable of facilitating discussions, workshops and initiatives with other young people. By empowering young people to “decode” contemporary democracy, Decode Democracy contributes to a more informed, resilient and participatory youth population, fully aligned with European citizenship values and the objectives of the Erasmus+ Youth programme.