Youth4EU - Large-scale events and youth volunteering for cohesion policy awareness raising

ongoing

The Youth4EU project fosters public awareness of the EU Cohesion Policy through the implementation of local, grassroot reach out actions, from a 1000 network of full time youth EU mobility volunteers, as well as existing and foreplaned major national and international events, enabling to pass a message therefore countering rising Euroscepticism, raising awareness of the benefits and functioning of the Cohesion Policy, and fostering greater trust and engagement among citizens. The initiative led by the Collective for a European Civic Service in a consortium of five countries/6 partners will include two main pillars of action: First, the consortium will enhance the visibility of the Cohesion Policy through its direct implication in major national events (Berlin Conference, Karpacz Economic Forum, Lust In Sarreguemines Franco-German festival, Youth Peace Forum during Milano Olympic Games). These gatherings will feature the partners and European Civic Service volunteers who will animate dedicated spaces for discussions and presentations, alongside influential stakeholders such as regional decision- makers and policymakers. Professional media coverage will amplify the outreach, ensuring the message resonates beyond the immediate event context. Second, the project will deploy grassroots communication strategies to engage the public directly. Teams of young European volunteers from our consortium of youth organisations, trained as “changemakers,” will organize monthly public sessions across France, Germany, Italy, and Poland – representing a total of at-least 100 workshops. These activities will highlight the tangible impacts of EU-funded projects towards those underserved communities. By empowering these volunteers as ambassadors for EU policies, the initiative aims to inspire a new generation of Europeans to appreciate and advocate for the benefits of the Cohesion Policy and make them long term sustainable relays.