One year in, the YOUROPE project has something to show — not just progress reports and deliverables, but a growing body of evidence that when young people are placed at the centre of democratic research and action, something genuinely different happens.
Across 21 partner institutions spanning Europe, the project’s first Community-Led Research and Action (CLRA) cycles have been completed. The issues that young researchers chose to investigate reflect the realities of their lives today: discrimination faced in schools and workplaces, the pressures of contemporary education systems, the struggles of young artists trying to build creative lives, and the barriers encountered by those who become parents early. These are not abstract policy topics — they are lived experiences, chosen by the people experiencing them.
A different model of participation
YOUROPE’s approach is built on a simple but significant premise: rather than consulting young people after decisions have been made, the project empowers them to lead the conversations that shape their future. Through CLRA, young people identify the issues that matter to them, design the research, and drive the action. They do not just participate — they lead.
This has produced outcomes that go beyond what conventional research approaches typically yield. Youth findings have been presented at international academic conferences, read aloud before the Council of Europe, and shared through participant-created social media campaigns that speak directly to their peers. The research does not stay in a report — it moves into the world.
What comes next
Year Two brings new ambitions. More CLRA youth groups will connect with EU policymakers. Young people will take over YOUROPE social media channels, bringing fresh and unfiltered perspectives. The Short Film Contest will give young creators across Europe a platform to tell their stories. Citizen Art Exhibitions will bring democracy to life in public spaces.
YOUROPE is not waiting for a more inclusive Europe — it is building it, one community at a time. Young people deserve more than a seat at the table. They deserve to set the agenda.
