The “An Entrepreneurship-Friendly Europe: Your Vote, Your EU” project, spearheaded by YouthProAktiv and coordinated by Zayneb Dahhaoui el Barni with Teresa Pallares Ramos as the Advocacy Officer, aimed to increase awareness among young European citizens about the EU’s democratic values and the significance of voting in the 2024 European Parliament elections. The project integrated educational events, practical workshops, and a dynamic social media campaign to achieve its objectives and took place from January to June 2024.
In February and March 2024, the project began with transnational educational events conducted in a hybrid format. These events combined in-person meetings in Belgium with online participation from Greece and Spain. The sessions provided a comprehensive understanding of the European entrepreneurship landscape and its impact on youth employability. Additionally, they educated participants about the roles and significance of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the EU electoral processes.
The first significant event was the Transnational Hybrid Webinar: “Entrepreneurship as a Way to Youth Employability” held on February 21, 2024. This webinar featured Justine Verzini, Project Manager at Revival Pulse Foundation, who provided insightful discussions on the European entrepreneurship landscape. Participants learned about practical steps for aspiring entrepreneurs and how young entrepreneurs could influence European policy through active engagement.
Following this, on March 21, 2024, the project hosted the Transnational Hybrid Seminar: “Understanding EU Elections: My MEPs on the Together.eu Platform”. This seminar included guest speakers from the Palumba initiative. The discussions focused on educating young participants about the roles of MEPs and the EU electoral processes, emphasizing the importance of informed voting. The seminar also demonstrated the practical use of the Together.eu platform to connect citizens with their MEPs.
In the next phase, from March to April 2024, the project organized a series of participatory online workshops. These workshops were designed to equip participants with practical skills for analyzing the entrepreneurial profiles of MEPs, contacting them, and coordinating a social media campaign. The Online Workshop: “Analyzing the Entrepreneurial Profiles of MEPs”, held on April 3, 2024, taught participants to navigate the European Parliament website, identify MEPs committed to entrepreneurship, and assess their voting patterns and initiatives.
Another critical session, the Workshop: “Contacting MEPs”, took place on April 17, 2024. This workshop focused on effective communication strategies for engaging with MEPs through email, social media, and other direct channels. Participants also learned about the role of Accredited Parliamentary Assistants (APAs) and the use of petitions to communicate their concerns and ideas to the European Parliament.
The final workshop, “Coordinating Our Social Media Campaign – ‘Your Vote, Your EU'”, was conducted on April 30, 2024. This workshop aimed to guide participants in designing and coordinating a pan-European social media campaign. The session emphasized the importance of detailed planning, task division, and effective content dissemination strategies to motivate young voters.
The project culminated with the youth-led social media campaign, “Your Vote, Your EU”, which ran from May to June 2024. This campaign aimed to mobilize young voters by sharing impactful stories, infographics, and calls to action on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The campaign successfully reached over 12,000 accounts and garnered more than 5,000 video views, highlighting the importance of youth participation in the EU democratic process.
The project effectively combined educational events, practical workshops, and a comprehensive social media campaign to involve and mobilize young citizens in Greece, Spain, and Belgium. By using hybrid formats and digital engagement, the project fostered a more informed and active European youth community ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections.
Find here links to the webinars:
Find here links to our Social Media campaign: