Across Europe, many young people feel disconnected from democratic life. Traditional forms of participation often seem distant, overly formal, or irrelevant to their realities. At the same time, low civic and media literacy make it harder for youth to navigate misinformation and to trust institutions. Social and digital inequalities further limit their access to meaningful engagement opportunities. As a result, many young people withdraw from public life, leaving their voices unheard. Democracy for Youth addresses this gap by creating inclusive, creative, and digital pathways for youth to understand, experience, and shape democracy in their own way.

Over 15 months, "Democracy for Youth" will bring together CIVIX (Belgium) and Udruga Prizma (Croatia) to co-create and test youth-friendly approaches to democratic participation. Through capacity-building workshops, youth parliaments, media and digital literacy trainings, and art-based civic actions, the project will empower young people to engage critically and creatively in democratic life. CIVIX will share its experience in civic education and digital democracy, including its civix.cyber initiative on ethical hacking and misinformation resilience, while Prizma will contribute expertise in non-formal education, artivism, and rural youth inclusion. Together, they will develop a Toolbox for Youth-Friendly Forms of Democratic Participation, pilot it in both countries, and publish a booklet of youth artworks reflecting European values. These actions will strengthen youth organisations’ capacity to promote inclusive, innovative, and participatory democracy across Europe.