Idea

This project aims to bridge the gap between young Europeans and the Union’s policy makers, through allowing a better understanding of Eurosceptics’ arguments as well as Euro-supporters’ triggers.

The project process aims to foster the civic engagement of European youth.

WHY?

Youth are a key component in Europe’s future and should be integrated into discussing and shaping the next years’ challenges. Therefore, they absolutely need to feel a sense of ownership of how Europe should be developed in the following years.

In the midterm, the project aims to enlarge our understanding of the perception of Euroscepticism among European youth, also expecting to shape new paths for EU future designed by the youth themselves, summarising their thoughts as a recommendation to be shared with local, national, and European policymakers. 

In the long term, the project aims to positive changes in skeptical youth perception of the EU. By debating the future of Europe, the project will foster a critical thinking attitude towards different sensitive topics, political or social Eurosceptic and nationalist speeches. It is also expected to encourage a constant dialogue and discussions among EU Citizens regarding new paths for Europe of the future. Nonetheless, it is also expected to have a significant impact on the youth’s understanding and perception of their role within the EU voting process, empowering them toward the EU democratic process.

The overall project idea is based on the concept that Euroscepticism can be considered as a challenge and a resource to detect possible solutions to the problems Europe is facing today, and to set the bases of a new Europe, meant to be the Europe of all its Citizens. All the events, linked by the common thread of fostering and supporting engagement between Eurosceptics and Euro-supporters, develop a set of activities that are directly or indirectly responding to the call objectives and priorities. 

How?

The project process aims to foster the civic engagement of European youth. It will involve young participants from the age range of 18-24, coming from both international and local communities, engaging them into a multidimensional dialogue to connect them with EU history, values and future through visits to places of memory, gamification and structured debates using modern and appealing tools that speak their language such as virtual reality, Lego gaming and storytelling; starting from the concept of getting to know your youth to release a final statement and recommendations to policymakers.

Through laboratories, workshops and study visits, the vertical path of the project involves the same international target group of 28 youngsters (a mix of Eurosceptics and Euro supporters) traveling to each and all events, keeping track of and witnessing all the project reflection and findings. Horizontal activities (conferences, workshops, etc.) will target the local civil society, to enlarge the reflection and collect a wider spectrum of ideas.

Starting from knowing EU history and values, EU bodies and their functioning, targeted participants will develop critical thinking on sensitive matters (environment, migration, youth employability, civil and human rights, and more), debating and exchanging their thoughts for finally developing a document containing all their ideas and recommendation to be presented in Brussels to the EU policymakers during the last event.

All the foreseen activities will be aimed to foster civic participation, stimulating local and international networking and engagement, disseminating the Eu values. The fight against prejudice and the value of inclusion will be part of the project activities, also thanks to the participation of guys and girls coming from minorities and disadvantaged situations as part of the target group within the mobilities and activities.