Democracy, human rights, and the rule of law represent the foundations of European values. Over the past several years, our societies have faced various challenges (the COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, and the economic crisis). These processes have led to new tensions in the form of Euroscepticism, isolation, and the spread of disinformation, which threaten our democracy. Today, young people are exposed to numerous threats, more than just a few years ago. They need support, encouragement, and appropriate tools in order to fully participate in the democratic life of their communities, by expressing their views and opinions on the future of Europe.
The project “SHINE: Shaping the Future of Europe” aims to provide youth organizations and young people in partner countries with tools, skills, and knowledge that will enable meaningful youth participation and dialogue with decision-makers, ensure civic engagement of young people, and create space for their voices to be heard at the local, national, and European levels.
The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the capacities of youth organizations to use innovative tools and practices that encourage youth engagement in public life. The consortium will achieve the project’s objectives through the creation of new open resources and NFIL (non-formal and informal learning) tools.
Partners from Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro will exchange information and examples of good practice from their countries and jointly develop educational resources—a podcast series, a training manual for youth workers, and a board game on democracy and civic participation for young people. The partners will also initiate and implement capacity-building activities, local and international trainings, awareness-raising campaigns, promotional events, and a final youth conference.
Partners:
🔹 Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Culture and Education (Lead Partner, Bulgaria)
🔹 KulturLife GGmbH (Germany)
🔹 Asociatia Europeana de Dezvoltare a Adultilor (Romania)
🔹 People in Focus (Albania)
🔹 Udruženje građana Nešto Više (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
🔹 Novi Horizont (Montenegro)
The project is funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme.
ACTIVITIES:
Kick-off Meeting and Seminar of Youth Workers
A Kick-off meeting and a Seminar of youth workers were implemented between February 4 and February 6 in the city of Kiel, Germany. The events marked the beginning of the SHINE: Shaping the Future of Europe project, which involves a total of 6 organisations from Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.
The Kick-off meeting and the Seminar of youth workers were hosted by the German partner Kultur Life. The activities brought together a total of 19 participants, youth workers and project coordinators who engaged in a variety of non-formal activities aimed at stimulating debates and discussions about democracy, civic and community engagement of young people, governmental measures and instruments to support NGOs and youth work, as well as, the training needs of young people connected to empowerment and engagement of youth.
During the first day of the seminar the youth workers got to know each other, presented their organisations and created group definitions of what is “democracy”, “community engagement”, “youth engagement in decision-making” and “media literacy”.
The second day started with fun energizers. The sessions allowed participants to engage in meaningful discussions focused on outlining key aspects related to the degree of development of youth work and the tools to involve young people in public life. A non-formal activity called “Making links” provoked youth workers to brainstorm on the key actors in a democratic society and their most important functions. In the afternoon the project coordinators discussed the project’s administrative and financial management and the dissemination strategy.
On the final third day, youth workers discussed the methodology for the delivery of the project products: podcast series, training toolkit for youth workers on civic engagement and board game on democracy and civic participation for young people. All participants received their Youthpass certificates. The Kick-off meeting continued with sessions focused on the monitoring and evaluation process and a summary of each partner’s tasks and responsibilities.
Transnational Project Meeting in Timișoara
On 18–19 October 2025, partners of the Shaping the Future of Europe (SHINE) project gathered at the West University of Timișoara for the second Transnational Project Meeting. The two-day event focused on evaluating progress, planning upcoming activities, and strengthening collaboration among all partner organisations.
Across the two days, partners discussed the completion of the training toolkit, the external evaluation process, and the translation and promotion of the podcast series. A major focus was the collaborative development of the SHINE board game on democracy, where partners tested gameplay, refined rules, and agreed on design and terminology updates. UGNV will share a pre-final version with the consortium.
The meeting also covered planning for the International Training for Youth Workers and the International Academy for Young Leaders, including travel options, participant numbers, and reporting timelines. The meeting concluded with a collective Q&A session and renewed commitment to empowering young people and youth workers across Europe.
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING
The first phase of the SHINE international training on active citizenship, as part of a nine-day program, was successfully completed in Timișoara, Romania.
During three days, youth workers explored theoretical concepts of democracy, youth participation, and civic engagement through practical methods and non-formal learning approaches.
The training was attended by activists from partner organizations in Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Germany.
Our organization’s team actively participated in the program, contributing to experience exchange and capacity building in youth work.
Training Focus:
-
Active citizenship and youth participation
-
Media literacy and combating fake news
- Civic engagement in the national context
After successfully completing the first phase of the SHINE training in Timișoara, our team continued their participation in Frankfurt, where the second part of this international program took place.
While the first part focused on theoretical concepts, in Frankfurt the emphasis was on applying the acquired knowledge through practical methods and a training-of-trainers approach.
During three intensive days, our team engaged in activities including:
-
Gender equality and minority rights
-
Participation in decision-making
-
Storytelling and podcasts as educational tools
-
Designing local trainings for civic participation
Throughout all activities, positive experiences were shared in developing new approaches to youth work, with a special focus on including young people with fewer opportunities.
We have successfully completed our participation in the international Erasmus+ training course “International Training on Civic Engagement for Youth Workers and Trainers,” with the final phase of the program taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The Sofia phase marked the conclusion of the nine-day training program and brought together youth workers and trainers from across the region to consolidate their knowledge and present the outcomes of their learning process. During this final segment, participants focused on applying previously acquired competencies in civic engagement, media literacy, and community involvement, with a particular emphasis on designing impactful campaigns that promote active youth participation.
Building on the earlier phases held in Timișoara (Romania) and Frankfurt (Germany), the Sofia training provided a platform for reflection, collaboration, and the exchange of best practices. Participants worked intensively in teams to finalize their ideas and strengthen inter-organizational connections, further enhancing regional cooperation.
Upon completion of the program, all participants were awarded Youthpass certificates in recognition of their learning achievements.
New Horizon’s participation in the final phase represents an important contribution to strengthening the organization’s capacities and advancing its ongoing efforts in youth empowerment and community engagement.
LOCAL TRAINING
Following the successful completion of the nine-day training for trainers, our team organized a two-day training for young people in Ulcinj, bringing together 20 participants – young individuals and youth activists eager to learn, exchange experiences, and actively engage in social processes.
Through a dynamic and interactive program, participants had the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills using non-formal education methods, including debate sessions, group work, reflection, and innovative learning tools.
The training covered important topics such as understanding democracy, the role of youth in society and the importance of participation, stereotypes and ways to overcome them, minority rights and inclusion, youth legislation and decision-making processes, the electoral process and the importance of voting, as well as hate speech and its impact on society.
Participants were also introduced to a handbook for youth workers developed within the project, while exchanging ideas and experiences with their peers.
At the end of the training, all participants were awarded certificates in recognition of their engagement, acquired knowledge, and active participation.
The training was implemented as part of the project “SHINE: Shaping the Future of Europe,” funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme, with co-financing provided by the Ministry of Regional-Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs of Montenegro.
SHINE Project is an Erasmus + Project, funded by the European Union.
