1. Youth International Congress. The whole group had the opportunity to
attend the Youth International Congress held on October 25 and 26 of 2013
in Riveira (Galicia, Spain) during which the participants have seen other
participation experiences and informal education actions developed to and
from the youth.
Youth Acting. The participants, in mixed groups, reflected on the
importance of participating in the European elections 2014 and developed
Action Plans based on which they carried out different campaigns in order
to promote the youth active participation in those elections.
Youth Vote Europe Project
October 2013
“This project has been funded with support from the European Commission (Youth in Action
Program). This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be
held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.”

2. Youth Vote Europe
Youth Vote Europe is an european project co-financed by the YOUTH IN
ACTION 2013 Program (Action 1.1 Youth exchanges), and promoted by the
Asociación de Desenvolvemento e Acción Social – ADAS (Spain) in
collaboration with Associazione di volontariato INCREDERE (Italy), House of
Education and Life Promoter - HELP (Poland), Centrul de Comunicare
Profesionala - PROCOM (Romania) and Aktif Genclik Dernegi - AYA (Turkey).
Where and When?
The project took place on October 21 – 27 of 2013, in A Coruña (Galicia, Spain)
in the students´residence “Siglo XXI” (arrival on October 20 and departure on
October 28 of 2013).
What is it?
The project consisted in a multilateral youth exchange that aimed to raise
awareness among young people regarding the EU Citizenship and the rights
that go with it and to promote the importance of youth active participation in
the EU elections of 2014. In this context, groups of young people between 17
and 28 years old, from 5 different countries (Spain, Poland, Italy, Romania and
Turkey) met in Galicia, Spain in order to get a deeper knowledge about EU, its
institutions, European citizenship, the decision making procedures and about
the European Parliament and its role in our future. Also, the young
participants worked together in diverse multicultural teams, in order to
develop an Action Plan aiming to promote the young people participation in
the next European Parliament elections. The project highlighted the benefits
of exploring cultural diversity and its implications and consisted in creative and
interactive activities, special workshops, play roles and visits.
Objectives:
The main objectives of the project were:
1. To acquire knowledge about the EU and to better inform young people
about how they can benefit from the rights and policies of the EU and to
encourage the active participation in its preparation
2. To raise awareness among young people about European citizenship and
the rights that go with it and to contribute to reducing the gap between
citizens and the EU institutions
3. To raise awareness among young people about decision making in the
EU and the European Parliament's role in order to promote young
people's active participation in the 2014 European elections
4. To encourage the reflection on increasing cohesion and mutual
understanding among the citizens of the European Union
5. To exchange information, ideas and views on issues of common interest
for the young people of the 5 countries
6. To explore a multicultural environment and to promote intercultural
communication
Youth exchange activities
The young participants were actively involved in the following ACTIVITIES
based on the promotion of the youth active participation in the European
Parliament elections of 2014 and, on the knowledge about EU and EU
citizenship:
Healthy Breakfast. Every working day began with a healthy activity
organized by one of the participating countries in order to exchange
healthy habits and also capture the attention of the participants before
of the initial of the planned activities.
Evening of intercultural exchange. The participants made ​a country
presentation from their own point of view showing to the other
participants not only the national characteristics of their country but
also, some cultural, geographical and social aspects of their local
communities. They also shared their music, food, traditions and dances
with the other participants.

3. •
Workshops like….
Cultural diversity and intercultural communication. There were developed
activities in order to reflect on the difficulties of intercultural communication
and to share the views of participants on the other countries and their positive
and negative stereotypes.
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Democratic Assemblies. The workshop simulated elections, from the
development of an election campaign based on agreed rules of living during
the week, to the election of a participants´ representative
for the whole exchange.
•
What do we know about our Europe:
Playing Trivial. An intercultural groups game with questions on Europe and the
countries that form it, about their art and literature, science, geography,
history, cinematography, spectacles and sports.
•
Knowing better our Europe. An interactive workshop about the European
Union, its origin and meaning, symbols, institutions, etc.., in which the
participants gave their opinions and spoke about their EU knowledge and
experiences.
•
The European citizenship and our rights. An workshop regarding the European
rights and how those rights are affecting our daily lives; during the workshop
the young participants reflected on the importance and possibilities of using
those rights.
The decision making in the EU and the European Parliament: voting
our future. Interactive workshops that discussed and exemplified the
role of the different institutions in the EU decision-making procedures
and how the proposals become regulations, with particular emphasis on
the role of the European Parliament in such decision making.
The youth decide. A role play in which the participants made decisions
in two groups (Council of the EU and European Parliament); in this
context, they negotiated a proposal of a Regulation that European
Commission gave them and finally, return it back consensually filled in
by both groups.
Visit to the Galician Parliament. It was undertaken a journey to
Santiago de Compostela in order to see the Parliament of Galicia. In a
guided visit, the young participants could learn and understand how
works a local political institution.