I vote for myself

Youth Participation and Democracy Award category

Organisation

Inter Alia

Country

Greece

WEBSITE

https://interaliaproject.com/

Project link

https://interaliaproject.com/project/i-vote-for-myself/

General Overview

“I Vote for Myself” was a one-year programme running from September 2023 to May 2024, designed to engage and prepare young people for the upcoming EU Elections in June 2024. The initiative aimed to empower young citizens by fostering informed, critical, and active participation in European political processes.

The initiative followed three main objectives:

Providing information on the EU Elections, reasons why and ways of voting, European parties and EP political groups, the role of MEPs, the EU’s decision-making processes, and the impact of its policies.
Creating space for the active participation and interaction of young people, discussing ways of active European citizenship that can be an alternative to traditional and formal political participation.
Critically exploring the EU as it is today, stimulating debate on future expectations and hopes, and promoting alternative ways of interpreting everyday events that happen in Brussels and that have a direct impact on young people’s personal experiences.

“I Vote for Myself” was also part of the EU-wide initiative together.eu, and it was presented in Brussels during the first Leadership Academy in December 2023.

Thematic Category Correspondence

(50 points max)

How does this initiative (project, event, material) correspond to the thematic category

The “I Vote for Myself” initiative connected youth participation and democracy by empowering young people with knowledge about the EU Elections, political parties, and decision-making processes. It encouraged them to engage beyond formal voting, promoting alternative ways to make their voices heard. The programme provided spaces for dialogue, fostering critical thinking about the EU’s present and future, and strengthening trust in democratic institutions by showing the impact of active civic involvement.

Impact

(30 points max)

How did your project impact young people / your community?

With ten online and onsite workshops and debates with experts, NGOs, youth organisations, activists, and decision-makers, the project managed to create a community of people interested in politics and willing to participate in open conversations, not always with like-minded individuals. The biggest success of the project was the organisation, right before the European elections, of two debates where young Member of the European Parliament candidates from different political parties engaged with the audience to answer questions. Seeing young people as candidates for the European Parliament gave hope for change and enhanced the engagement of citizens and youth in EU-related issues, a sentiment noted by the audience.

Over the course of one year, Inter Alia collaborated with fellow organisations all over the EU, academics, and activists, engaging and directly involving young people from its community in multidisciplinary activities tackling diverse EU policy areas. “I Vote for Myself” provided young people in Athens and across the EU, through online workshops, with the chance to explore different ways of participation and gain new tools to analyse the world they live in through new lenses.

From solidarity and migration to civic monitoring, from disinformation to youth participation, “I Vote for Myself” has been a process to collectively rethink the EU and imagine new paths towards a more caring, fair, and sustainable Europe.

Green Focus

(10 points max)

Did your project have any green focus and/or did you implement any eco-friendly measures when organising it?

Our project maintained a strong green focus by adopting several sustainable practices. We conducted online workshops to reduce travel-related emissions, used only reusable materials for all in-person events, and avoided printing by keeping all resources digital. These efforts reflected our commitment to minimising environmental impact.