European Young Citizens Initiative
Fourteen youth-serving organizations and 250 young people from Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Romania, were involved in the YiA 1.3 “A European Young Citizens’ Initiative” project.
The project, funded under the Youth in Action, offered an intercultural platform for dialogue and lively cross-border debate among young people on the “European citizen’s initiative”. Since 1 April 2012 and for the first time in history, European citizens have a real possibility to influence the EU decision making process with a new tool – the European Citizens’ Initiative. The project has given us the opportunity to put ideas and common reflections into practice by encouraging young people to exercise their right to express their own views freely, to nurture their dreams and participate actively in the EU decision-making process in a more conscious and democratic way. The lead partner of the project was PRISM, Promozione Internazionale Sicilia-Mondo in Italy also 2 organizations from Cyprus DOREA Educational Institute’ and ‘Teach and Love it’ as well as 11 more organizations were involved in the project.
The main activities of the project consisted of:
Local focus groups in each partner country involving 210 young people, identifying needs and constraints that young people face in their life. 1st transnational workshop, from 6 to 11 December 2013, Caltanissetta, Italy, involving 21 participants from all participating countries. 2nd Transnational workshop, from 31 March to 5 April, 2014, Limassol, Cyprus, involving 21 participants from all participating countries hosted by DOREA Educational Institute (Cyprus). Creation of the digital booklet: “A European young citizens’ initiative”
The final output of the project is booklet "A European Young Citizens' Initiative” The booklet builds on the experience of both local and international activities carried out in Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Romania. The booklet presents the conclusions of one year of intensive exchange of experiences while experimenting the use and application of the European Citizens’ Initiative in the youth field involving young people, project coordinators and policy makers from all participating countries.
