TEACHING DEMOCRACY TO GENERATION Z: WHY NON-FORMAL EDUCATION IS EUROPE’S BEST KEPT SECRET
In the 2024 European Parliament elections, overall voter turnout remained stable at 50.74% — but among young people under 25, participation actually fell. Only 36% of eligible voters in this age group cast ballots, a 6-point drop from 42% in 2019 (FEPS, 2024). According to the European Parliament’s own post-election report, the most common reasons […]
WHEN BELONGING BECOMES A BATTLEGROUND: YOUTH IDENTITY AND COEXISTENCE IN MODERN EUROPE
In recent years, the question of who belongs — and who doesn’t — has moved to the centre of European politics. From debates over migration to disputes about cultural identity and national values, young people find themselves navigating an increasingly polarized social landscape. The consequences are real: rising hate speech in schools, online harassment targeting […]
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
At Y4C, commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination means reaffirming our commitment to an education grounded in human dignity, inclusion, and social justice. This date invites us not only to preserve historical memory, but also to reflect on the persistence of racism in our societies and on the collective responsibility to […]
Origins of social intolerance revivalism in Europe
The origins of social intolerance rise in Europe, from a sidelined minority social issue to a major problem is directly linked to a number of crisis’s and social changes that occurred both in Europe and the rest of the world over the past 70 years. Social intolerance has and always will be present in any […]
SOCIAL MEDIA: THE NEW LABORATORY OF YOUTH COEXISTENCE
Adolescence is a crucial stage in identity development. It is a dynamic and continuous process “a lifelong process” deeply influenced by the social, cultural, and relational context in which each person grows up. Identity is built through experiences, beliefs, values, and meaningful relationships (Pérez, 2024). In this sense, the digital environment has become a new […]
The rising tide of social intolerance in Europe
Although social intolerance has and will always be present in any society, for the EU and neighbouring European countries, it was the 2015 Refugee crisis, hand in hand with the further development of social media-based populism and the continued impacts of the economic crisis 2008, that moved social intolerance, from the outskirts of European society, into a more central position. […]