Get-together – practical tools for youth engagement Erasmus Project

Project Title

Get-together – practical tools for youth engagement

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: EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy; Reaching the policy level/dialogue with decision makers; Gender equality / equal opportunities

Project Summary

The project is in line with the field specific priorities in the youth sector and is aimed at providing means for fostering a stronger participation of the young people in the democratic and civic life in Europe as well as broadening and deepening their political and social participation from local, through national and up to European level. The main objective of the project is to promote the active citizenship of young people by creating an innovative on-line communication platform for a dialogue between them and those responsible for the youth policies formation and cooperation in implementing regional strategies for sustainable development as well as the establishment of a Balkan youth network for cooperation and communication. The envisaged online platform can be viewed as a ‘participatory space’ – a place where young people can come together to explore and develop their own ideas and go on to meet with decision makers. It shall be a space for dialogue and reflection where young people can get to know the decision makers and vice versa, where barriers can be broken down and issues discussed.
There is a growing concern at political level and enough evidence to indicate that young people have been turning away from established forms of democratic participation, for example increased abstention from voting and decreasing membership in political parties is indicating that young people are disengaging from “traditional” forms of participation and finding “alternative” or “innovative” forms of participation to replace them. The participation of young people in decision-making processes – be they political, civic, civil society or other – fosters their active citizenship, enhances their inclusion, and strengthens their contribution to the advancement of democracy. It is essential, therefore, to foster this participation and the main goal of the project is to support young people’s (positive) attitude to influence decisions in democratic processes – be that at national, regional or local levels – and to increase their involvement in the development of inclusive and peaceful societies.
Specific goals and objectives of the project, relevant to youth participation:
– Increasing the influence young people have on decision making in a public body;
– Increasing the voter turnout amongst young people;
– Enabling public bodies to consult with young people through new, modern media;
– Encouraging decision makers to be more receptive to youth participation;
– Educate the educators in formal, non-formal and other settings on the wide range of approaches to youth participation emphasizing the importance of children and young people having an opportunity to engage and learn about democratic decision making from an early age;

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 138155 Eur

Project Coordinator

Association European Educational Center & Country: BG

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITATEA MARITIMA DIN CONSTANTA
• TRAKYA UNIVERSITESI