Act local – connect European – think global! There is a lot going on in the network of Generation Europe – The Academy. Here you can find recent updates and reports on activities in our network.
Dortmund / Brussels. Where do we really stand when it comes to the spaces in which young people organise participation and democracy? What needs to change to secure European youth work in the long term? The policy paper “Young Voices for Youth Work” provides answers to these questions. The document is the result of a […]
Brussels, European Policy Centre (EPC). It happens too rarely that young people who are active in local youth groups and international encounters discuss their demands with representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and large umbrella organisations. At the roundtable “Young Voices for Youth Work”, this is exactly what happened: Young people from nine European countries presented the draft of a policy paper with recommendations for European youth policy.
Generation Europe – The Academy is an international network of youth work organisations and a funding programme for European cooperation. As a major funder, Stiftung Mercator commissioned the association transfer e.V. to review the efficiency and effectiveness as part of a formative evaluation over the period from 2022 to 2025.
The MAKE USE youth group from Larissa, Greece, is showing how young people can actively shape their local environment. Coordinated by our partner organisation Synergy of Music Theatre (SMouTh), the group has carried out an impressive series of creative and educational initiatives this year. Their projects combine artistic expression, environmental awareness and community engagement.
The local youth group of our Spanish partner organisation Irenia, Jocs de Pau from La Nou de Berguedà, has reached an important milestone in its work: in September, it presented its activities to the Parliament of Catalonia in Barcelona. There, the young activists met with three Members of Parliament from the governing party to present their work to date and discuss the next steps.
What does it take to create real change in a community? For the young people in the network of Generation Europe – The Academy, the answer often lies in a powerful four-step approach. The “Soqquadro” initiative in Rome is a perfect example for this: Responding to the lack of an inclusive youth-led space, they took a room in a local youth centre and transformed it into a vibrant cultural hub.
What does ‘home’ mean? Is it a physical place, a community, a family or a feeling? Three local groups from the Generation Europe – The Academy network are currently addressing these profound questions in their project ‘beLONGing home’. In this extraordinary collaboration, young people from Ukraine and Munich (Germany) are exploring together what it means to feel a sense of belonging – across geographical and biographical boundaries.
Standing up for their own future, expressing their opinions and helping to shape society – that is what many young people want. But all too often they feel disconnected from the places and structures where decisions are made. To change this, the International Association for Education and Exchange (IBB e.V.) has joined forces with eight […]
Being active – for yourself, for others, and for the community: Under this motto, the local youth group of Generation Europe – The Academy in Telšiai, Lithuania, is making its mark. By setting up a new music room in their youth centre and organising an intercultural cooking event, they are putting self-organised participation into practice.
Summer in Portugal – that sounds like sun, community and carefree days. In Évora, about a hundred kilometres east of Lisbon, there is much more going on: Together with our partner organisation Oficina Fermento, the local youth group of Generation Europe – The Academy is showing how to make a real difference at a local level and strengthen social participation for all.