The project aims to strengthen young people’s democratic participation at local and regional level by empowering a core group of young people to become informed, active and responsible voices in their communities. Through a combination of capacity-building activities, regional youth participation events and local civic initiatives, the project translates abstract democratic values into concrete local action. The project responds to several interconnected needs of young people aged 13 to 19: a limited understanding of how democracy functions at both local and national level; a sense of exclusion from decision-making processes; exposure to misinformation, hate speech and polarising narratives; insufficient tools for critical thinking and civic response; and limited opportunities to engage in structured dialogue with peers and community stakeholders.