Europe is a multi-level governance system and participation in European democracies starts at the grassroots level. Yet, every day’s news show that policy-makers, both at the European and national level, are disconnected from citizens’ daily considerations and that Europe is too often perceived as an elite project. To turn this around, FutureLab Europe supports young Europeans in their active citizenship efforts at their level: their communities.
For its 2017 edition, FutureLab Europe is looking for 20 bright and committed young Europeans who want to play a role in the future of Europe by implementing a project with a civic impact. Projects ideas can include (but are not limited to!) a blog series, volunteering activities, a picture exhibition, artwork, short movie, school visits, a series of debates and should be connected to the programme’s focal topics:
- Democratic values in Europe – What can we as young Europeans do to ensure that Europe’s democratic values are at the basis of our societies?
- Equal opportunities for young people – How can we as young people overcome the multiple barriers we face and ensure that our society and economy offer the same opportunity to all of us?
- European identity – Has European identity meaning for us as young people and how can we contribute to further foster it?
Structure of the programming year
Selected participants will convene to Brussels in February 2017 for a 4 days seminar on occasion of the FutureLab Europe Annual Forum, whereby they will become official members of FutureLab Europe’s sixth generation. On this occasion, they will have the chance to interact with international decision-makers, meet FutureLab Europe’s members of the previous generations, learn more about active citizenship and project management, develop ideas and take actions on how their own projects will be implemented during the rest of the year. After this introduction into the programme, each member of the sixth generation will turn ideas into concrete activities to be implemented at the national/local level with the (small-scale financial) support of FutureLab Europe. Following this implementation period, FutureLabbers will have the opportunity to present their group activities in Brussels in September/October 2017 and to debate their results with high-level decision-makers.
Still interested and motivated to join the programme? Fill in our application form.
Deadline for application: 2 September 2016: APPLY HERE