NB: long-term project July – December
Udruga Better Me is looking for four young people aged 16-30 for a Youth Participation Activity project.
What is a Youth participation Activity project?
This action supports activities outside formal education and training that encourage, foster and facilitate young people’s participation in Europe’s democratic life at local, regional, national and European level.
Erasmus+ supports youth-driven local, national, transnational and international participation projects run by informal groups of young people and/or youth organisations encouraging youth participation in Europe’s democratic life and following one or more of the following objectives:
- provide young people with opportunities to engage and learn to participate in civic society, by offering pathways of engagement for young people in their daily lives but also in democratic life, aiming for a meaningful civic, economic, social, cultural and political participation of young people from all backgrounds, with special focus on those with fewer opportunities;
- raise young people’s awareness about European common values and fundamental rights and contribute to the European integration process, including through contribution to the achievement of one or more of the EU Youth Goals;
- develop young people’s digital competences and media literacy (in particular critical thinking and the ability to assess and work with information) with a view to increasing young people’s resilience to disinformation, fake news and propaganda, as well as their capacity to participate in democratic life;
- bring together young people and decision makers at local, regional, national and transnational level and/or contribute to the EU Youth Dialogue.
Context of the project
The EU Parliament is the institution that is underestimated by the European citizens in finding effective solutions and resolving common problems. Nonetheless, the EU Parliament has a range of functions in developing political reforms, defending human rights and freedom, and producing policies that are beneficial to all EU citizens.
On the other hand, young people from certain countries are not really involved in policy analysis and decision-making of EU despite the fact that it has an impact on their lives. One of the reasons for that is disinformation. There are many cases when young people have avoided participation in European political events by following misleading and false information about their role and influence in European affairs, for instance, the European Election 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has just worsened this trend and it may hugelyimpact on the process and results of the European Elections 2024. Our task is to bring some solutions to the issue, to give youngsters the opportunity to impact and find ways of policy building and decision-making for their communities, countries, and EU overall. We believe that young people can use the model of the European Parliament and address the issue of disinformation that heavily affects some European countries in various aspects for the last few years.
What is the aim of this project
The Aim of the Youth Activity is to debate issues of disinformation trends and its influence within European Union and certain member-countries, guide young people into the various aspects of EU policy-making and prepare them to be leaders for active participation in the decision-making on European level, and advocate the EU Parliament as an institution that can bring positive changes in Europe overall. Also, youngsters will be offered to rethink different forms and models of youth participation in democracy in the current political and social conditions as well as to stimulate a public dialogue on youth involvement in the European agenda during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
This project consists of 5 steps:
- A mobility in Czech Republic from 24th to 31st of July 2023;
- The EU Parliament: online seminar for Youth Leaders (online);
- Youth Hackathon on disinformation fighting in Europe (1 day, online);
- A simulation of European Parliament in Samobor (5 days) from 22nd to 26th of October;
- Final Conference & Results Presentation (1 day, online).
Profile of the participants:
- 16-30years old;
- Croatian citizen or legally resident in Croatia;
- highly interested in the themes of intercultural cooperation, European affairs, policy making, and non-formal education methods;
- ready to contribute to them through local actions in their communities, and share the values of democratic participation and development;
- able and willing to participate in each steps.
I like it! I want to be part of it: how do I apply for this project?
In order to apply for this project, we ask you to compile this Google form. You will be contacted for a meeting (even online). The deadline is 18/07/2023. Feel free to use the email for requires further informations or contact us by our Social media.