Harnessing the potential of digital tools to strengthen youth participation in EU democratic life

Background To foster young people’s participation in democratic life is to empower them and provide them with the means and ways to become actors in their life and their world. Amidst the rise of populism and a return to nationalist discourses, the idea of the YouEU project was created based on the need to nurture youth engagement and strengthen their connection to the EU project giving EU democracy a youth revamping. A well-informed young generation confidently engaging with digital democracy tools and making its claims open to the public sphere will foster active EU citizenship and will build a sense of European identity. At the same time, youth workers should be properly prepared in order to facilitate this process. Encouraging youth participation has been high on the EU scholarly and policy agendas over the recent decades, especially after the end of what was coined 'the permissive consensus' in EU affairs and as the EU democratic deficit was beginning to be a key issue on the agenda. Within this concept, the #YouEU project aimed to reinvigorate the relationship of European youth with the EU and promote active youth participation in the EU democratic life by harnessing the potential of digital tools and promoting e-participation. Objectives The overall objective of the #YouEU project was to harness the potential of digital tools to promote the participation of youth in the democratic life in the EU. The five specific objectives of the project were to: • Enhance the capacity of youth workers and CSOs professionals to support young people on using digital democracy tools so as to understand the EU democracy better and to contribute in EU democracy processes • Raise awareness and educate youth on e-democracy and participation concepts, tools and their potential • Strengthen transnational cooperation among youth and foster an EU digital public sphere • Encourage youth participation in the Conference on the Future of Europe • Foster understanding and a sense of a common European identity among youth Implementation IO1 - Α methodology & action plan was created with the main tasks of each partner - Research & identification of practices & tools were conducted regarding youth participation in democratic life - The Toolkit was elaborated & translated into partner’s language - A raising awareness & capacity building of youth workers seminar, along with Open e-design workshops with youth workers & youth, took place in all countries IO2 - An action plan for the delivery of the e-course was created with the methodology, the activities, the deadlines & the guidelines that each partner should follow - Open e-design workshops with youth & youth workers were organised (102 individuals participated) - The e-course (methods, themes, material) was developed & translated into partners’ languages IO3 - The YouEU platform was conceptualised (scope, objectives, function) - The YouEU platform was technically developed - A user guide was prepared & translated into all languages IO4 - A piloting methodology was set up - The YouEU e-course & the platform were piloted - Online feedback seminars were organised, including 93 participants - The YouEU experience: Lessons on e-participation & youth empowerment was prepared & translated into partners’ language Achievements The concrete outcomes that the project delivered are the following: 1. The #YouEU Toolkit, an e-publication in the form of e-book that encompasses good practices resources across Europe. Moreover, the partners created and a shorter version, a Booklet as well. 2. The #YouEU E-course addressed to youth aged 16-24 for e-participation and empowerment in EU democratic life, which contains four modules and 16 lesson plans in total. 3. The #YouEU Platform available in English and with guidelines in all participating countries’ languages. 4. The #YouEU experience: Lessons on e-participation and youth empowerment with youth views recounting their experiences on applying digital tools for participation in EU affairs. Furthermore, a Project and Quality Management Plan, as well as a Dissemination Plan, were created. These documents elaborate more on the set up of the project, ways of communication, reporting, visual identity and social media activity. Regarding Quality management, the project also contracted an External Evaluator to perform a summative, external and independent evaluation.