Youth Against Fake Web Erasmus Project

Project Title

Youth Against Fake Web

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Gender equality / equal opportunities; Health and wellbeing

Project Summary

The context is related to pandemic 2020 and increasing time which vulnerable youth is online, and respective increased signals of fake news and fake profiles on the web and huge numbers of victims of cyber threats; the action is in line with EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders; EU cybersecurity measures; Code of EU Online Rights; measures of the Commission for Digital Economy and Society related to fraud online contents. The objectives are professionalism in youth work for social inclusion – providing materials, good practices; active participation of young people with fewer opportunities in society; strengthening cooperation and networking between organisations to prevent cyber threats. The profile of participants is practitioners; staff in education and training; youth workers; experts, specialists, professionals; young people with fewer opportunities. In 2 learning activities will be involved x 2 staff /youth workers from 4 countries who will train and consult including after project end young people from vulnerable groups how to behave properly online following the methodology Youth against fake web (YAFW). On the web site will be uploaded good practices, training materials,videos; will be used by at least 5000 people. The activities will be: collection of good practices;Training materials development; construction of open FB group The network against fake web; Local and dissemination events. Project methodology: management team will coordinate, monitor project progress, budget control and time table; Transnational project meetings for operational tasks – 2 on site + 2 online; Dissemination plan; website, 2 e-Newsletters; list of stakeholders; info days/meetings with local youth, interested learners, relevant key stakeholders and beneficiaries; Design of the training content and fine-tuning based on the participants feedback; 2 joint staff short-term learning events. Results: bilateral agreements; Sustainability plan; Monitoring and Evaluation reports; TPMs, website with training materials; Facebook page and Facebook group YAFW; e-Newsletters and press releases, feedback questionnaires; videos, photos; E-brochure YAFW with practical instructions for youth workers and youth how to react to fake profiles and fake news; trained 20 youth workers (Youth passes) in international and after them 120 in national learning events. The envisaged impact we expect growing from staff with specific skills to multi-skilled staff ready to answer to the everyday working challenges; Will be able to act as human rights defenders with knowledge about manipulation techniques and how to combat fake news;equal learning opportunities for young disadvantage people, by obtaining more specific communication and ICT skills; to become self-motivated for continuously improving and extending the gained skills, learning to learn; to develop self-respect and start own strategy for personal development including looking for a reliable partner in life. For the young people end-users we expect to gain higher self-esteem, become more emancipated for integration and chances for better living. The project results will answer the needs of youth workers to help in everyday work youth target group, especially socially excluded striving to find a circle of friends and get clear picture of life around them through media.
The potential long-term benefits: Socially excluded youth, facing obstacles will find support following the new strategy in online communication and reading media. The positive impact at local and national level will be noticed in social sphere, will be able to involve themselves easier in new environment. It is expected long-term social change through civic competences: ability to participate effectively and constructively in social life and engage in active and democratic participation; involvement of young excluded people with fewer opportunities; Social inclusion; quality youth work; social engagement through the new methodology YAFW created;sustainable social change – implementation of innovative youth work practices focused on improvement of communication skills – a powerful tool for non-formal and informal education and source of benefits for youth of the local communities. The added value is youth workers to help the youth to feel self-confident; raise the awareness of the threats online, keeping human values for love and respect. We expect multiplication of the project results, their implementation into daily practice and creation of strong Network Youth against fake web; decreasing of victims of online dating and fake news; less financial and emotional damages caused by scammers; recommendations to policy makers for improvement of legislation regarding cyber threats; Improvement of the innovative education, caring about youth not only in terms of their personal and career development but also about their harmony and happiness, self-trust attitude, mutual respect with a partner and building a system of values.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 27987,9 Eur

Project Coordinator

CATALYST IN COMMUNITIES LTD & Country: UK

Project Partners

• MB “Efekto grupe”
• Balkanska Agenciya za Ustoychivo Razvitie
• Union- National Council for Gender Equality