The Project
The European Hackathon: shaping youth ideas on the future of Europe project aims to broaden and strengthen youngsters’ civic engagement and participation in democratic processes, through their active participation in a training pathway that will have a student/youth-centred and action-oriented approach.
Toward the end of the project, the partners will organise “Eurothon”, a #EuropeanHackathon, that will consist of a 5-day training event with 24 young people from across Europe. The event will be an unconventional hackathon for networking, knowledge sharing, and inspiring moments, talking about the future of Europe, with debates on opportunities and threats, with the final aim to broaden and strengthen youngsters’ civic engagement and participation in democratic processes.
The project will develop practical and theoretical tools to support young people to become active citizens as it is #uptoyouth to bring positive social transformation.
Context
Often, participation in democratic life is reduced to voting or standing for elections. However, the revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life mentions that “Participation and active citizenship is about having the right, the means, the space and the opportunity and where necessary the support to participate in and influence decisions and engage in actions and activities to contribute to building a better society”. In this context, youth participation is seen as an approach and attitude in daily life that enables young people to express their opinions, become involved, to be part of the decision-making process at different levels and to create a dynamic and participatory civil society.
In order to do so, they must have a clear idea, which is currently lacking, of the values, rules and functioning “life” of EU Institutions. In a survey conducted by the partners, it was highlighted that most young people do not have a clear idea neither of the current social and environmental threats nor of the opportunities offered, such as the growing sector of social enterprises.
Objectives
The project aims to:
- enhance young people’s civic participation, providing them with the right information, tools and channels to make their voices heard by policy makers and relevant organisations and stand up as tomorrow's change makers and new EU ambassadors;
- increase the social inclusion of young people on European values, while promoting intercultural dialogue and acceptance of diversity and tolerance;
- strengthen young people's sense of initiative to support their communities;
- promote equal learning, collaborative work, and self-learning through young people's involvement in the EUROTHON training programme and event.
Target groups
The EUROTHON project is mainly addressed to:
- Young People between 18-30 years old
- Activists
- NGOs
- Youth Organisations
- Wider Civil Society Organisations
- Young people willing to take up and play a more active role as:
- an EU Influencer or EU cultural Ambassador in their capacity of European Citizen individually
- a present/future member of a youth or wider European Civil Society organisation.
Other key target groups
Involved at a local, national and European level:
- Local and national associations engaged in social inclusion, environmental sustainability and active citizenship
- Social Entrepreneurship organisations and associations
- Public Authorities related to the project Local, National and International Press members
- European associations engaged in social inclusion, environmental sustainability and active citizenship
- European Social Entrepreneurship organisations and associations
- European Youth Organisations
