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Description
The #cidadania project aims to promote democratic participation and active citizenship in youth through training the production of a toolkit and training courses in education for citizenship for facilitators, raising awareness in youth for civic participation by involving them in workshops, campaigns, voluntary work, community initiatives and meetings, boosting their levels of adherence to public decision-making processes, and by recognising and valuing their involvement and active participation through the #YouthCitizenship award.
The Norwegian partner will contribute to the facilitators’ toolkit, deliver one of the editions of the training for educators, and create a human rights campaign to be used as a resource in the work with the schools.
Summary of project results
The #cidadania project is a civic education initiative with a strong focus on activism. It leveraged youth participation spaces to promote democratic initiatives and civic awareness, contributing to the recognition of citizenship as a valuable practice among young people and society.
The project structured its approach around three key phases: 1) Inform, Raise Awareness, and Reflect; 2) Action; 3) Celebrate.
The first phase involved training 463 young people in civic education through debates and awareness-raising on topics such as citizenship and participation, human rights, cultural diversity, environment and sustainability, and volunteering. It also included the training of 76 teachers and other professionals in the use of non-formal education methods on the above topics, using the manual "Connected by #Citizenship" (developed by the project). Of the 463 young people, about 50 participated in the planning and production of seven awareness-raising campaigns entitled "Make Your Voice Heard!" on various issues such as racism, harassment and the environment over two academic years. To improve digital communication, a virtual experience was conducted where 14 young people had the opportunity to discuss, reflect and analyze the relationship between activism and the digital world, while being inspired by three activists and influencers.
Regarding Action, 11 civic and community initiatives were carried out in one academic year, involving 52 volunteers in various activities, such as street actions dedicated to the prevention of Covid-19 among young people, an awareness campaign on the climate emergency and the importance of sustainability, beach cleanups, and the collection of masks and hand sanitizers to be distributed to young people and families in the local parish. Content was also created to highlight the importance of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, educate about the SDGs, and call for action. During this phase, young people also received support from the project in mediation, tutoring, and assistance through 10 initiatives to promote access to information on public and private policies. This process resulted in two applications: "Promising Future" on youth employability and school-to-work transition, a solidarity project conceived by six young participants in the participatory meetings; and the #payyourintern activism campaign, which aimed to raise awareness and put an end to unpaid internships, supported by the #cidadania project under AMC participa!, using youth-led activism actions. This opportunity was not foreseen at the beginning of the project, but emerged during its implementation, especially during the pandemic, when strategies and methodologies had to be rethought.
Throughout the project, 33 videos on Citizenship were produced and published on the YouTube channel "connected.citizenship".
To celebrate, the #youthcitizenship award was established, with editions in 2020 and 2021, and will continue beyond the project''s end. In 2020, three out of 19 initiatives were awarded, and in 2021, one winner and four honorable mentions were selected from 42 applications, recognizing contributions to a more just and supportive society.
In quantitative terms, the following was achieved:
- 52 volunteers recruited by supported NGOs;
- 9 awareness raising campaigns carried out;
- 11 civic initiatives led by supported NGOs;
- 539 people educated in civic rights;
- 6 partnerships between NGOs and schools promoting civic education;
- 75% share of target group showing civic concerns.
In terms of capacity building, the promoter carried out a needs assessment and prepared an action plan. Accordingly, 10 professionals received training on strategic management and facilitation of educational workshops.
All proposed targets were met and exceeded.
Summary of bilateral results
Through a partnership with the Human Rights Academy (HRA), professionals were trained in Human Rights, and a chapter on this topic was added to the "Connected by #Citizenship" manual. This collaboration allowed for the exchange of knowledge and experiences between Portugal and Norway. The HRA also shared a successful Human Rights campaign and distributed the translated manual to Norwegian schools as a teaching tool for Citizenship.