Highlights Category: Innovating Democracies Highlights

Centar E8

Centar E8 is a youth organization focused on working with young people across Serbia. Through innovative campaigns, the use of social media, and diverse work methodologies, we educate youth on topics such as media literacy, gender equality, violence prevention, and the importance of active political participation in society.

INEDNET (Information and Education Development Network)

Information and Education Development Network is an information-consulting organization, which acts as a network of media makers, non-formal educators and youth workers. The organization aims to: Empower young people through quality non-formal education. Enable media makers to update competencies on fair content production. Enhance the development of youth work, and provide equal access to it.​

YEPP Italia

YEPP Italia was founded in 2011 as an evolution of the international YEPP program. Key words of the YEPP methodology are participation, active citizenship, learning, advocacy, decision making power, community. Main concept is youth empowerment at the individual, social and community level. In 50 municipalities 5 Italian regions groups of young people, aged between 15 and 29, are experiencing participation processes in urban neighbourhoods, small towns, rural villages

Helix – Social Innovation Hub

Helix – Social Innovation Hub is an informal educational organisation dedicated to empowering young adults and fostering social transformation. Serving as a dynamic community, we bridge organisations, technology, research, innovators, and ideas to co-create impactful solutions for complex social challenges. Our mission is to empower young adults through innovative methods, an entrepreneurial mindset, and self-development tools, fostering socially balanced, sustainable growth.

Kipriakos Organismos Kentron Neotitas – Cyprus Youth Clubs Organisation

Cyprus Youth Clubs Organization (KOKEN) is a non-profit dedicated to empowering youth across Cyprus. As the coordinating body for 65 clubs with 3,500 members from urban and rural areas, KOKEN aims to improve their quality of life through regional, national, and international activities. Focused on social inclusion and education, KOKEN promotes civic engagement, well-being, digital skills, and employability, offering programs in culture, sports, human rights, and volunteerism.

Munícipio de Portimão

Munícipio de Portimão – Órgão de Administração Pública Local que integra a Divisão de Desporto e Juventude, Unidade Orgânica com responsabilidade nas Politicas de Juventude

Dracon Rules Design Studio

Dracon RDS is a non-profit organization based in Karditsa, Greece, dedicated to promoting the use of board games as tools for education and social inclusion. We specialize in designing educational games and innovative learning methods to foster collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Through local and international projects, including EU-funded initiatives, we aim to empower communities and create impactful learning experiences in areas such as sustainability and social equity.

Sosyal İklim Derneği – Social Climate Association

Since its establishment in 2014, Sosyal İklim Derneği – Social Climate Association has been actively working on the development of a culture of dialogue among young people, the rights and participation of children and young people, climate action and justice. Social Climate team operates with 9 young professionals, 20 young board members and actively collaborates with approximately 7000 young volunteers in 10 different cities

Democracy and Law Youth Association

The Democracy and Law Youth Association (DLYA), founded in 2019, promotes democratic values and social justice while engaging youth. We include young people with fewer opportunities and enhance their skills through Erasmus+ projects, training, and national solidarity projects. DLYA’s mission supports Turkish and European youth in areas like democracy, citizenship, gender equality, and climate, fostering creativity, intercultural interaction, and understanding of the EU.

Asociatia Nuclee

Founded in 2023, Asociatia Nuclee is a non-profit organisation based in Caracal,Romania, committed to combating the region’s depopulation trend by creating opportunities for young people to build their futures within their communities. Focused on participation, cultural expression, research, and innovation in the fields of: climate action, economic growth, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation, we foster intergenerational collaboration, driving sustainable progress and a thriving society.

Iveta Balcune

Non-formal learning activities for youth and adult people of different social backgrounds, social integration through non-formal educational activities (culture, art, outdoor and other participatory activities), improving life quality in rural areas, involving in culture  projects (music, arts, theatre, dance, exhibitions etc.) through cooperation with culture estate luznavasmuiza.lv.

Detska organizacia FENIX, o.z.

We are NGO whose goal is to support children and youth in spending their leisure time actively. We concentrate on using the methods of non-formal education.

Migrafrica

Migrafrica is an organisation founded by young African migrants who are empowering young fellow African migrants in Germany. Our main goal is to enhance the social, economical and political participation and integration. We support faster integration and mobilizion of resources to improve lives, build capacities and skills and develop networks between young Africans living in Germany/Europe and bridge the gap between Africa and Europe.

La Bastida Participació SCCL

We are a non profit cooperative working on youth policies, who provides assessment to municipalities and their youth workers and creates and develops participation processes together with local public administrations or other entities. We believe in participation both as the main goal and key tool in the empowerment processes of people, especially youth, for the social transformation in their context.

Asociación Las Niñas del Tul

Las Niñas del Tul is a non-profit association carrying out activities in the province of Granada since 2004. The main goal is to promote participation as a tool for both personal and community developments. It is characterized by its extensive experience in working with young people, using the methodology of non-formal education. Inclusion is an inherent part of our mission, ensuring that everybody have opportunities to participate regardless of their circumstances and needs.

University of Coimbra Institute for Legal Research

UCILeR’s understands that Law can make a transversal contribution, being essential for social cohesion and coexistence between people, as well as for the construction of normative frameworks that fairly pursue sustainable development. UCILeR’s research proposal is based on reflecting on contemporary problems and the ways in which they can be legally resolved, either in the light of current law or through the necessary changes to its current framework. The UCILeR’s work reflects this vision.

Pi Youth Association

Pi Youth Association (PIYA) was established in 2014 in Türkiye with the aim of helping young people develop knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes. Our local activities organizes focus on encouraging the personal development of youth. PIYA has consistently maintained a strong focus on national activities related to youth rights and issues. Lastly, PIYA actively participates in international youth development by engaging in Erasmus+ and volunteering abroad through ESC both funded by the EU.

BASHKIA FUSHE-ARREZ

The Municipality of Fushe-Arrez strives to be the leader among Albanian municipalities to engage youth in policy-making and decision-making processes. Youth participation is at the core of our governance and community.

ProActive Group Georgia

Proactive Group Georgia is a CSO, whose mission is to support the development of a free, democratic, progressive-minded proactive society. We create learning opportunities for youth and adults through promoting civic activism, democratic youth participation, social entrepreneurship, diversity & inclusion by various NFE activities, which helps people to grow on a personal /professional level, to be more proactive citizen. We empower them by various capacity building programs for employability.

Center for Intercultural Dialogue – CID

Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID) is a CSO working to promote intercultural acceptance and active citizenship through capacity building processes, education and youth work. The CID’s activity focuses on many aspects which are of interest for young people: from provision of services and information, to research and support for policy-making and networking.

Municipality of Kolonjë

The Municipality of Kolonjë is located in the southeastern region of Albania and has a total area of 864 km2. We currently have a total population of 17,898 inhabitants, spreading across 2 cities and 76 villages. We are primarily engaged in local governance and administration. Our main areas of focus include youth empowerment, urban planning, infrastructure development, public services, social welfare, and community engagement. Please feel free to contact us for collaborations on projects.

Donum Animus

Non governmental/ non profit organisation promotes social cohesion and active participation of people from vulnerable groups paying special attention to persons with disabilities in deprived communities.

Lota’s Box

Lota’s box was founded in 2018 to promote values of democracy, active citizenship and equality. Our activities are based in three pillars: lifelong learning, sport and active citizenship

Umbrella

Umbrella is a Georgian youth value-based organization that aims to educate, motivate and activate young people aged 13-30 in Georgia and beyond, in order to be empowered and develop the communities that are coming from. The mission of the organization is to support young people’s progress by creating educational initiatives to develop young people’s competence in the fields of environment, human rights and democracy. To ensure the real impact we work on local, national and international levels.

Association Centre for research and analysis NOVUS Strumica

Association CRA NOVUS is an NGO established in 2013 in Strumica, N.Macedonia, that works in the field of non-formal education, youth engagement and civic activism, promotion and strengthening of youth policies and promotion of EU values. Since 2013 NOVUS conducts research and activities aimed at the transparency of local and national authorities, as well as enabling young people with knowledge and skills to be part of the democratic processes in our country in matters that affect them.

Câmara Municipal do Fundão

Fundão as a municipality in the center of Portugal, threatened by depopulation, but with a strong and determined smart territorial innovation and youth strategy, has created an innovation ecosystem that is a reference in Portugal, attracting, IT companies, youth organizations and a serious mobility regional HUB, generating start-ups, and supporting hundreds of projects, while investing in R&D and pioneering initiatives in professional retraining and digital skills, financial literacy.

Europiamo ETS

Europiamo is the Italian community for the youth, youth workers, and youth organisations working together to build a more accessible, participatory, and sustainable Europe. In 2024, we have more than 100 members and over 25 youth organisations part of our network. We connect young people to growth opportunities in Europe, we curate spaces for participation and sharing, we represent the youth sector, the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps programmes in Italy

ORNAMENT Foundation

ORNAMENT Foundation, founded in 2020 by a group of dedicated individuals, is a non-governmental organization working closely with diverse communities, especially youth. The foundation aims to improve social inclusion methods, enhance personal and professional skills to boost youth employability, and promote volunteerism. It also focuses on encouraging healthy behaviors through sports, advocating for ecological living, and supporting non-formal education to empower young people.

Habitat Association

Habitat Association is a non-governmental organization produces social capacity-building and impact-oriented projects based on strong partnerships compatible with the digitalizing world and aimed at sustainable development. Founded in 1997 by young people who came together for the Copenhagen Social Development Summit in 1995 and the United Nations Habitat II Summit in 1996, Habitat’s mission was to establish a communication bridge between the youth of the world and the youth of Turkey.

HUSKJ (Hessische Union zur Stärkung von Kinder- und Jugendinteressen)

We are the umbrella organization of youth parliaments in Hesse. Our goal is to increase the numbers of youth parliaments in Hesse in order to increase the number of youth that is represented in the local decision making process. We want to give youth a voice and strengthen democracy. Furthermore, we organise meetings for youth all over Hesse which allows them to connect with each other, enhance their personal skills and exchange solutions for common problems in the local youth parliaments.