Online event: Youth Civic Participation in Europe – barriers, civic spaces and inclusive democratic engagement
23 June 2026
18:00 – 19:45
The registration form is available here.
The draft agenda of the event is available here.
Young people across Europe are increasingly looking for meaningful ways to engage in their communities, contribute to social change and take part in democratic processes that shape their lives. However, many still face significant barriers to participation, including limited access to safe and open civic spaces, discrimination, lack of representation and the feeling that their voices are not genuinely heard.
On 23 June 2026, the EVY-PACT consortium invites practitioners, policymakers, educators, civil society organisations, researchers and young people to join an online public event exploring the current state of youth civic participation in Europe and discussing how more inclusive and accessible forms of democratic engagement can be strengthened.
The event aims to create an open discussion around the challenges young people face when trying to participate in civic and democratic life, with a particular focus on vulnerable and marginalised youth. It will also explore the role of civic spaces, local communities and institutions in supporting meaningful youth participation.
What will we discuss?
The event will present the findings of the comparative research conducted across the four partner countries (Romania, Belgium, Italy and France) and will explore:
- barriers affecting youth civic participation across Europe
- the role of physical and civic spaces in fostering engagement
- how institutions can move beyond symbolic consultation and participation
- approaches for engaging vulnerable and marginalised young people
- practices and models that can be further developed and tested at European level.
The event will also provide a space for dialogue and exchange between organisations, researchers, institutional representatives and young people working to strengthen democratic participation and civic engagement across Europe.
Representatives from youth organisations, public institutions, civil society organisations, European initiatives and research organisations from both partner countries and the European level will take part in the discussion, bringing different perspectives and experiences on inclusive youth participation.
About the EVY-PACT project
EVY-PACT (Empowering Voices of Youth for Participation, Action and Civic Transformation) is a European cooperation project that seeks to strengthen young people’s participation in democratic life, with a particular focus on those facing barriers related to social exclusion, discrimination or unequal access to civic spaces and participation opportunities.
The project brings together partner organisations from Romania, Belgium, France and Italy and combines research, civic education, active youth participation, institutional dialogue and local initiatives to develop and test new approaches to inclusive youth engagement.
Funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme. Views and opinions expressed are however,those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.