European Youth Together: "Road to the future"
European Youth Together: "Road to the future" project towards the European elections 2019
Project summary
Building on a strong coalition of youth-led and volunteer-led civil society organisations and a network of political stakeholders and regional authorities, the project Road to the Future is designed to encourage and strengthen European-oriented youth participation for a specific democratic milestone, the European Parliament Elections 2019 and in the longer term for the future of Europe. The initiative is built in two phases: the lead-up to the European Parliament elections 2019 and their follow-up.
Aims and goals
Aim 1: Encourage debate among young Europeans about the European Elections 2019 and increase young voters’ turnout. Goals:
- Develop the capacities of youth organisations in a cross-border and synergy-finding perspective to facilitate, encourage and organise young people’s debates about the European Parliament elections 2019.
- Raise awareness among European youth of the stakes at play for the European Elections and encourage them to vote.
Aim 2: Develop strategies and organize advocacy actions for the implementation of the New Narratives for Europe using the ideas collected during the phase leading to the EP elections, both at the local and European level with parliamentarians and newly elected MEPs. Goals:
- Develop the skills and capacities of young people and youth organisation to engage for the future of Europe in a local context with local and regional decision-makers.
- Develop new activities and tools for youth organisations to continue working for the European engagement of young people on a long-term basis.
Before the EP elections...
Before the European Parliament Elections, the project will train multipliers (youth activists, youth leaders, youth workers) as well as gather and develop tools and resources for them to organise local activities designed to include young voters in debates about the EU and encourage them to vote.
Main mobility events:
- a meeting with youth engagement and communication experts (Portimão, 15-18.01.2019),
- a training for facilitators and organisers of local events (Struga, 2-9.02.2019),
- a large-scale youth exchange and event gathering approximately 2000 young people (Paris, 13-17.03.2019).
An overarching campaign online (social media and online youth media) and offline (local events organised in 14 countries and a bus tour) will give the chance to reach out to more young people and to collect their ideas and wishes for the future of Europe. These ideas will be featured on an online interactive platform addressed to politicians, particularly candidates to the European Parliament.
...and after
The second phase seeks to build on the ideas collected and momentum created to ensure a long-term European-oriented youth participation. It will include a training for trainers and mentors (Werbellinsee, 22-29.06.2019), who will then organise local trainings and activities in 14 countries. These activities will be aimed at ensuring that young people gain the knowledge, competencies and tools necessary to be engaged for the future of Europe at the local level.
In the last phase of the initiative, advocacy initiatives will be organised all around Europe and the results of the project will be presented at the final conference (Brussels, December 2018/January 2020).
All project events and activities, international and local, will include young people, young activists and young youth workers from a diversity of youth networks and will provide the basis for stronger cooperation on future projects.
