Constant challenges in society such as recession, unemployment, extremism and xenophobia are seen as by-products of Europe’s derailment from its constitutional values. Those challenges cannot be sustainably addressed by mere compliance with rules imposed from the top-down but necessarily through the demand of citizens for fairer, more inclusive and democratic, societies.

 

The role of youth work and youth workers in the process of augmenting, directing and communicating this demand constitutes the main concern driving Follow Through. The aim is to enhance the role of youth work in fostering local level solutions to pan-European challenges of democracy and collective action. More specifically, Follow Through aspires to provide youth workers with new, effective and up-to-date tools for inducing trust of youth in EU values. The emphasis is placed on ways for enhancing leadership skills for promoting social change through community building in young people.

 

The project involves youth professionals, local stakeholders and youngsters in developing new ways of engaging with democratic processes. It includes an international mobility - a Training Course for youth workers, trainers, project managers and youth leaders - 16 organisations from 10 European countries. The overall aim of the project is to promote participatory democracy through community building and civic initiative.