Do you know YOUR DEMOCRACY?

Project name: Do you know YOUR DEMOCRACY?

Funding scheme: Erasmus+ Program

Type of action: European Youth Together 2023

Partner countries: Estonia – Croatia – Sweden – North Macedonia – France

Project duration: December 2023 – December 2025

Project budget: 344.862 €

Learning Library is part of the consortium implementing the project.

Today in Europe, we are witnessing different phenomena: shrinking space for civil society, the rise of populism and illiberal regimes, a decline of trust in the institutions, the changing role of media and diffusion of fake news, lack of access to rights and rapid development of digital technologies. All this together influences political participation, especially of young people (source: SALTO).

According to the needs assessment and research, youngsters that lack political and media literacy and are least active and engaged in democratic processes belong to NEET youngsters or youth facing economic difficulties. In order to address these needs in the long term we plan to establish 5 Youth Leaders’ Hubs (2 digital – in Sweden and Estonia and 3 in person – in Croatia, North Macedonia and France) where we will organise workshops on local level (face to face, online, and blended learning activities) that will raise political literacy and active citizenship competences of these youngsters. In these Hubs young people will create and promote culture of participation. But first, we need to educate our youth leaders to develop and implement workshops on these topics.

Accordingly, we developed the concept of implementing activities and producing outcomes focused on 2 main interrelated topics: 1. democracy; democratic values; the importance of democracy in our societies; political participation; 2. media literacy; disinformation; fake news like a propaganda tool for attacking democracy. Youth recognition of EU values, including human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and active youth engagement in political processes is paramount, as it is through democratic engagement that young people can help to shape the future they want to live in. More active participation and investment in civic and democratic life at a local, regional, national and European level will foster more resilient societies and prosperity in the future for both the EU and for young people.

Project objectives:

1. Developing and improving partnerships and youth opportunities between North, South, East and West of Europe on topics of democracy, democratic societies, grassroot activism, media literacy and its’ connection to democratic societies; through development of educational opportunities for youth leaders, educational materials for future educations of youth leaders, digital board/card game, and by providing direct opportunities for youngsters to develop and use their skills by creating educational digital board/card game on the topics of democracy, grassroot activism and media literacy as fundaments in modern democratic societies.
2. Raising knowledge, skills and attitudes of youth leaders across 5 partner countries and partner organisations for development, implementation and evaluation of youth work activities and programs focused on democracy, importance of democracy in today’s society, media literacy and disinformation handling and their connection to democratic societies; through LTTA 1: “Democracy, its importance and our local communities as democratic societies” and LTTA 2: “Disinformation, medias and manipulation with medias in democratic societies and how to stay democratic in these times”; on which 30 participants per LTTA will be involved (total of 60 youth leaders, some of them being youth workers, including trainers, experts and staff);
3. Improving and raising existing capacities of project partners for development, implementation and evaluation of local and international projects focused on engaging, connecting and empowering young people in local communities for development of critical thinking and critical thinking skills related to the democracy and media disinformation prevention through Youth leaders’ Hubs, which will lead youth leaders educated on LTTAs, and especially implementing follow-up activities after LTTA 1 and LTTA 2 on which at least 25 participants from each of the 5 partners will be involved (total 250 participants in 5 Hubs and the 2 follow up activities);
4. Develop the competency framework for youth leaders for empowerment and education of young people on topics of democracy, the importance of democracy in today’s society, media literacy and disinformation handling and their connection to democratic societies through the development and publication of 2 educational handbooks, which will be used in the activities of the Youth Leaders Hubs through which youth leaders with the support of experienced youth workers will implement the follow-up activities (50 participants per partner, 250 total), dissemination activities (30 participants per partner, 150 total) and 2 handbooks will be available on websites of partner organisations and youth work resource centres’ websites;
5. Develop and further improve the knowledge and skills of young people from 5 partner countries, but the whole Europe as well; in topics of democracy, democratic societies, grassroots activism, media literacy and its’ connection to democratic societies; through participation in Youth Leaders’ Hubs: learning about democracy and participation, developing their activities and campaigns as an alternative way of political participation and practising their active citizenship, developing of board and card game, piloting of developed educational game and participation in the promotion of final products in relevant educational platforms and social media;
6. Engage, connect and empower youth to participate in the democratic process and in society through Youth Leaders’ Hubs and a Youth Exchange where they will explore together the topics of democracy and political participation, and develop and exchange common ideas for action;
7. Engage in intensive dissemination & exploitation activities of newly produced products and engage at least 150 participants (with a special focus on the higher engagement of NEET and fewer opportunity youngsters) in our youth work activities focused on topics of democracy, democratic societies, grassroots activism, media literacy and its’ connection to democratic societies; through but not limited to use of bord and card game for young people, and educational handbooks for youth leaders and youth workers.