The project ‘VIBES – Voices for Inclusion, Belonging, Equality and Solidarity’ aims to promote the active participation of young people in democratic and civic life through a bottom-up approach that directly involves eight youth centres in six Italian cities (Casalecchio di Reno, Montesilvano, Pontedera, Portomaggiore, Reggio Emilia and Turin).
The goal is to build a comprehensive civic experience that allows young people to become aware of their role as active citizens and agents of change. Through the co-design of training courses and activities, participants will be protagonists in every phase of the project, from design to the central event of the Youth Camp.
VIBES aims to provide concrete tools to combat discrimination and promote inclusion, gender equality, fundamental rights and the values of the European Union. The project encourages dialogue between peers and with the educational community, promoting the exchange of good practices and the construction of local and national networks.
In addition, VIBES works in close synergy with the EPIC IDEA project, strengthening the European dimension of youth participation and contributing to ICEI’s multi-year strategy on intercultural citizenship education. The project adopts innovative methodologies such as the Anti-rumours Strategy and Future Studies to promote informed and inclusive youth participation and to stimulate reflection and imagination on future challenges and possibilities.
ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy
The VIBES project aims to strengthen the democratic participation of young people in Italy, promoting them as key players in building inclusive and pluralistic communities.
Through a bottom-up approach, young people will acquire skills and tools to tackle current challenges, promoting European values, fundamental rights and gender equality. The project also involves the educational community and institutions, fostering an environment of dialogue and youth activism.
VIBES is based on five methodological pillars: interculturality, anti-rumour strategy, future thinking, non-formal education and gender equality, ensuring fair and inclusive empowerment.
- The VIBES project directly involves:
- at least 30 young people (aged 15-25) from 8 centres in 6 Italian cities, with a particular focus on those with fewer opportunities due to gender, socio-economic status, education, religion or ethnicity, following the principle of “nothing about us without us”;
- it also includes 20 youth workers from local organisations, who play a key role in non-formal education.
- Indirect beneficiaries are:
- 32 local authorities from the Italian Network of Intercultural Cities, reached through dissemination activities. The results will be shared with European partners to promote dialogue and the exchange of good practices.
Project activities
The project will run from May to October 2025 and will be divided into the following phases:
- Involvement of eight youth centres in six Italian cities to select young people motivated to participate in civic life and intercultural dialogue, with a focus on those with fewer opportunities.
- Launch of a co-design process between young people and youth workers, including online preparatory sessions to share expectations and ideas and build the content of the Youth Camp together.
- Collaboration with experts in youth participation, non-formal education and interculturalism to design training activities based on creative and inclusive methodologies (Anti-Rumour Strategy and Future Thinking).
- Organisation of the Youth Camp (September 2025), a 3-day residential event bringing together at least 45 participants from all over Italy, with the aim of: o promoting peer exchange and experience sharing; o strengthen skills in active citizenship, inclusive communication and anti-discrimination; o jointly design local actions to be implemented subsequently.
- Production of recommendations and advocacy materials (digital publications, videos, campaigns) reflecting the proposals of young people.
- Dissemination of results at local, national and European level through youth networks, local authorities and the partners of the EPIC_IDEA project.
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