Youth DECODE Power kicks off in Cascais during the Innovation in Politics Awards 2026 On 29–30 October 2026, DYPALL Network took part in a programme of activities in Cascais, Portugal, organised by the European Capital of Democracy, bringing together European partners and initiatives working towards strengthening democracy and civic participation. One of the key moments was the kick-off meeting of the Youth DECODE Power project, which gathered partners from Austria, France, Ireland, Portugal and Ukraine to officially launch the initiative, exchange perspectives and establish a shared understanding of its objectives, planned activities and next steps. Youth DECODE Power aims to strengthen youth-led democratic resilience by equipping young people and youth educators with the critical thinking, media literacy and AI awareness skills needed to decode the political messages and narratives embedded in pop culture and digital media. The project seeks to foster confident and informed civic participation across diverse European contexts, including those particularly affected by disinformation. During the meeting, partners discussed the project’s approach, coordinated the upcoming work and explored how to support young people in developing the skills to critically engage with the information and narratives shaping their understanding of politics and democracy. Projektu koordinē European Capital of Democracy (Austria), in partnership with Momentum educate + innovate (Ireland), Democratic Initiatives Incubator (Ukraine), European Center for Human Rights (Francija), Gairmeach (Ireland) and DYPALL tīkls (Portugal). Connecting youth democratic resilience with political innovation The programme also included participation in The Innovation in Politics Awards 2026, which took place on 30 October in Cascais. Organised by the European Capital of Democracy, the Awards recognise innovative approaches to politics and democracy across Europe, providing an opportunity to discover initiatives addressing some of the key challenges facing democratic societies. DYPALL Network joined the afternoon session, Politics, Coffee & Cake, which featured welcoming speeches and the presentation of this year’s award categories. The 2026 Awards covered eight areas: Challenging Authoritarianism, Climate Protection, Democracy, Digital Innovation & Governance, Education, Local Citizen Engagement (ELDA), Public Health & Ageing Society, and Strengthening Europe. The next edition will take place in Brussels, European Capital of Democracy 2027. Organisations and individuals working on innovative political and democratic initiatives can already get involved by submitting or nominating projects through the official Innovation in Politics Awards website. Bringing together the launch of Youth DECODE Power and the Innovation in Politics Awards offered an opportunity to connect work on youth participation, media literacy and democratic resilience with broader European efforts to explore and promote democratic innovation. Youth DECODE Power is co-funded by the European Union.