Youth Agoras: Bridging Generations and Empowering Citizenship Across Europe (Y-AGORA) is a capacity-building project implemented under the Erasmus+ Youth 2025 programme, co-funded by the European Union through the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).

The project is coordinated by Out of the Box International (Belgium) and implemented by a transnational consortium of organisations from EU Member States and Western Balkan countries:

1. Out of the Box International (Belgium) – Coordinator
2. Udruženje Centar za socijalne inovacije Centrifuga (Serbia)
3. Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures – SMOC (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
4. Akcelerator društvenih promjena – ZID (Montenegro)
5. Youth 4 Society (Albania)

The project duration is 24 months.

General Aim

The primary goal of Y-AGORA is to empower young people to actively participate in democratic processes and civic life at the local level by providing them with the skills, knowledge, and platforms necessary to effectively engage and influence community and policy outcomes. The project fosters a culture of active citizenship and intergenerational dialogue, contributing to sustainable societal development and the resilience of democratic institutions.

Specific Objectives

• Equip young people with practical civic skills such as advocacy, public speaking, lobbying, and digital literacy through youth democracy Y-Agoras in five countries.
• Promote mutual understanding and cooperation between young people and older generations through structured intergenerational dialogue and joint civic initiatives.
• Reactivate youth participation in decision-making processes through accessible platforms such as democracy hubs, mentoring schemes, and public events.
• Enable young people to design and implement two impactful local actions in each partner country, addressing concrete community needs and influencing policy.
• Ensure visibility, replication, and long-term impact through media campaigns, public events, and shared project tools.

Main Activities

WP2 – Capacity Building & Structuring

• Development of a comprehensive Training Guide to standardise and support the creation of local Y-Agoras.
• Organisation of an International Training Course in Lazarevac (Serbia) for 15 youth workers and leaders, focusing on civic skills and creative Agora methodologies.
• Establishment of local Y-Agoras in four Western Balkan countries, mentored by experienced youth workers.
• Development of Local Fact Sheets “Crossroads”, based on needs assessments, surveys, and intergenerational focus groups, capturing local civic challenges and best practices.
• Preparation of Local Action Plans to guide strategic, community-specific civic initiatives.
• Creation of an Outreach Guide to engage hard-to-reach and marginalised youth through tailored, context-sensitive approaches.

WP3 – Agora

• Delivery of six face-to-face mentoring sessions per country for Y-Agora teams, complemented by three online mentoring sessions at transnational level.
• Organisation of Agora events using interactive methodologies such as Forum Theatre and Pecha Kucha.
• Implementation of the Agora Contest, awarding micro-grants to the two best local actions per country, selected by expert juries based on predefined quality criteria.
• Organisation of a Youth Press Event to amplify visibility and community impact.

WP4 – Local Political Actions & Policy Change

• Additional mentoring sessions focused on advocacy and policy engagement.
• Implementation of selected local actions responding to community challenges.
• Publication of an (e-)Book of Local Actions documenting results and models for replication.
• Organisation of an International Evaluation and Sustainability Seminar in Podgorica (Montenegro).
• Facilitation of policy debates with local authorities led by Y-Agora youth teams.

WP5 – Dissemination & Multiplication

• Development of a strong visual identity and comprehensive online presence.
• Organisation of Local Democracy Festivals in four countries.
• Organisation of the European Local Democracy Festival in Brussels.
• Collection of at least 10 Memoranda of Commitment (Agora Pledge) to ensure sustainability and post-project replication.

Target Groups

• Youth workers and educators involved in youth organisations, school parliaments, and community initiatives.
• Civil society organisations active in youth work, civic education, and advocacy.
• Young and older generations from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, including refugees, minorities, and marginalised groups.
• Policymakers and local authorities interested in participatory governance and civic innovation.
• The general public, engaged through public events and media activities.

Y-AGORA strengthens democratic culture and social cohesion by empowering young people as active citizens and fostering intergenerational cooperation. Through structured capacity building, civic action, and policy engagement, the project delivers sustainable impact across Europe and the Western Balkans