SYNERGY
Project duration: 24 months, from January 2026 to December 2027
Project title in English: Synergy of Practices to Counter Civic Apathy among Young People in Central and Eastern Europe
Project reference number: 101246340 / ERASMUS-YOUTH-2025-CB
Capacity Building in the Field of Youth
The project is funded by the European Union.
Partner Organisations
- ATA – Asociația de Tineri din Ardeal, Romania – Project Coordinator
- Anthropolis, Hungary
- iRi – Institute for Rural Initiatives, Moldova
- DRONI, Georgia
- Peregium, Ukraine
- TANDEM, n.o., Slovakia
The project is coordinated by the Youth Association from Transylvania. Its implementation brings together partner organisations from Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. The six participating civil society organisations work with young people across EU Member States and countries of the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood. Together, they aim to respond to one of the region’s increasingly urgent challenges: the growing civic apathy observed among young people.
Many young people feel disconnected from democratic processes, community life and public decision-making. They may feel that their opinions are not heard, that their participation makes little difference, or that they lack meaningful opportunities to become involved in the life of their communities. The SYNERGY project responds to this challenge by strengthening the capacities of youth organisations and supporting them in developing more effective ways of encouraging young people to participate actively in civic and community life at local level.
Throughout the project, the partner organisations will identify, analyse and document their existing good practices that contribute to reducing civic disengagement and strengthening young people’s participation in society. These methods will be explored in greater depth through six international study visits, each hosted by one of the partner organisations. The visits will enable participants to observe the practices in their original social and organisational contexts, experience selected elements first-hand, and engage in professional dialogue with local stakeholders and fellow youth workers from the participating countries.
The study visits will be followed by an extensive testing phase in all six partner countries. During this phase, at least 18 different practices will be adapted and implemented in new local contexts. The testing activities are expected to involve at least 1,200 young people and 300 additional stakeholders, including youth workers, teachers, representatives of local authorities and other professionals working with young people. The project’s findings and practical results will be shared with the wider professional community through a good practice publication, 18 adaptation videos, and a series of national and international dissemination events.
SYNERGY places particular emphasis on non-formal learning, youth empowerment and cooperation between youth organisations and other relevant stakeholders. Special attention is given to young people living in rural and remote areas, members of minority communities, and other groups facing fewer opportunities. The project is designed not only to strengthen the professional capacities of the participating organisations, but also to produce practical tools, tested methods and transferable experience that can support youth workers, educators, local decision-makers and civil society organisations throughout the region.
The project results will be made available in six languages, making the identified methods more accessible and easier to adapt to different national, cultural and community contexts.
Our long-term ambition is to contribute to a Central and Eastern Europe where young people feel that their voices matter, where they can become active members of their communities, and where they have the confidence, skills and opportunities to shape the future of the places in which they live.
