European Platform of Young Muslims for Inclusion: To transform the world! Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Platform of Young Muslims for Inclusion: To transform the world!

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for youth

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Environment and climate change; Gender equality / equal opportunities; Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy)

Project Summary

In September 2015, more than 150 heads of state and government met at the historic Sustainable Development Summit (SDS) where they approved the 2030 Agenda. This Agenda contains 17 universally applicable goals that govern the efforts of countries to achieve a sustainable world by 2030. SDSs are unique in urging all countries, whether rich, poor, or middle-income, to take action to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that efforts to end poverty must go hand in hand with strategies that promote economic growth and address a range of social needs, including education, health, social protection, and employment opportunities while fighting climate change and fostering environmental protection. The UN also states that, in order to achieve these goals, everyone has to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society, and citizens, and it is precisely for this reason why this youth initiative was born, aiming at providing its grain of sand to the achievement of these objectives from civil society.

In this way, 4 youth associations of Muslims from Spain (As. de Jóvenes Musulmanes en Valencia), Belgium (Ligue des Musulmans de Belgique – Youth & Students), Germany (Rat der Imame und Gelehrten in Deutschland), and Italy (Giovani Musulmani Italia – Milano) joined to carry out a youth initiative that involved Muslim youth in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and helping European society as a whole to build a better world. This path has also helped us improve the social inclusion of our collective while helping to fight racism and intolerance through the work of youth regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or culture.

For this, we have worked on different results:
– We have created the EUROPEAN PLATFORM OF YOUNG MUSLIMS for Inclusion: a network of youth associations from all over Europe whose main purpose is to promote compliance with the 2030 Agenda, as well as its SDGs. This non-formal Platform aims to be the loudspeaker to develop awareness, inclusion, and educational projects, and currently comprises 4 partners, but we hope to continue growing as we carry out more projects and have more visibility on a European scale.
– We have created the VIRTUAL ROOM with non-formal education and awareness materials on the SDGs collected: at first, the work focused on these 5 objectives:

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
2. SDG 3: Health and well-being.
3. SDG 4: Quality education.
4. SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
5. SDG 13. Climate Action.

Many activities and youth work groups were created and carried out at the national level, along with participatory assemblies and virtual meetings. These were carried out in the most participatory way possible, using non-formal and informal work and learning methodologies that enhanced the motivation of the young participants, such as games, group dynamics, brainstorming, open debate assemblies, etc.

Since March 2020, our activity had to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide extraordinary support to our members and beneficiaries in most need (with food distribution, emergency aid, digital training…). We are satisfied because we managed to involve a large number of young people in the project, most of them with obstacles, and promote their active participation.

Lastly, 3 on-site and 1 virtual Transnational Meetings were held (after the cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic of the meeting scheduled for March 2020) in Spain, Belgium, and Italy. These served to monitor the process, exchange experiences, good practices, get to know each organization better, and strengthen bonds and the relationships of cooperation and joint work.

The great impact that this project will have is worth noting, along with its long-term sustainability, since the Virtual Room for non-formal education and awareness materials on the SDGs is completely digital and free, and various youth associations and other social organizations throughout Europe have already shown their interest in using these results among their young members. Added to this is the creation of a long lasting European Platform that will be used as a loudspeaker for the dissemination of this project and its results at a European level, but will also start developing its own projects to promote compliance with the SDGs, so great impact and sustainability are guaranteed.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 39000 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASOCIACIÓN DE JÓVENES MUSULMANES EN VALENCIA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Ligue des Musulmans de Belgique (LMB) / LMB – Youth & Students
• Rat der imame und gelehrten in deutschland
• Giovani Musulmani Italia, Milano