The Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted young people, particularly vulnerable groups. This has made access to education, jobs, and democratic participation even more unequal, and the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion increased to 25.4% in the EU-27. It is thus necessary to support youth-focused initiatives that work to solve these problems.
Focusing on the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the JUST EU and ME Project aims at providing young people (18-30 yo) and representatives of youth associations with knowledge, skills and opportunities for actively participating in developing recommendations to improve EU and Member States policies that addresses social justice issue.
The project’s structure is composed of a series of European Workshops for Youth Activists; the implementation of youth-led project works in Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Spain and Sweden aimed at sensitizing and mobilizing peers and local communities; and a space for dialogue and advocacy actions at EU level with stakeholders, media, institutions and decision-makers.
In this project led by ActionAid Italia, the European Movement International will promote an open dialogue between youth activists and associations and EU institutions. To this end, we organised a workshop on the “The European Union and the Pillar of Social Rights” in February 2023. Other partners will organise workshops on the theory of change methodology, solutions journalism, and countering disinformation. We will also take part in the final event planned for October 2024.
Goals
- Upskilling youth in policy advocacy at the EU level
Our policy team shared with workshop participants their knowledge about advocacy and more generally, about the EU, its principles, bodies and institutions, and decision-making process. - Raising awareness about EU social rights
The workshop provided information about the European Pillar of Social Rights principles by engaging with the leading civil society organisation in their respective fields. In particular, the principles of Gender equality, Education, training and long life learning, and Equal opportunities were addressed. - Fostering youth engagement with relevant stakeholders
The workshop was built in an interactive format, which offered the opportunity for young people to engage with EU decision-makers, civil society organisations, experts and other young activists from across the EU.
Key Events
The project is implemented in 7 EU countries including Italy, Spain, Poland, Bulgaria, Sweden, Czech Republic and Belgium, where we engage with diverse young people. Yet, our public online events and dissemination efforts reach beyond this scope.
Participants in the program will become progressively able to develop their stance on different principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and communicate and advocate for it at a national and European level.
Ultimately this project will lead to increased participation in the democratic life of the EU, greater commitment to defend and promote fundamental rights, and an improved sense of belonging and commitment to the EU in the long term.
The online workshop we organised in February 2023 gathered over 100 participants.
Partners
The project is led by ActionAid Italia, and implemented by a consortium of seven European organizations.
Donors
The JUST EU and ME project is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Program (2021-2027).
