Dates: 10 – 20 October 2026
Place: Benicàssim, Spain
About the project:
The global transition toward digitalization requires an urgent adaptation of democratic mechanisms to information and communication technologies. While digital democracy provides a distinct path toward more inclusive and transparent civic participation, translating online activism and consultation tools into formal governance channels remains highly limited. OECD data indicates that although 89% of member countries have digital government strategies, only 27% include specific citizen participation tools. Furthermore, the Digital Democracy Index reveals that over 60% of digital democracy initiatives lack the strategic planning necessary for effective institutional integration. This structural gap directly affects youth, who maintain a massive daily presence on social media (85%) but rarely channel it toward political or social participation (20%). While digital platforms successfully raise visibility for global movements, their direct impact on formal political processes remains marginal. This shortfall stems from a lack of strategic competencies among young people to transform digital interaction into concrete political leverage—a vulnerability systematically aggravated by online disinformation, algorithmic bias, and polarization. Consequently, youth trust in democratic institutions has dropped by 15% over the past five years, underscoring the need for interventions that reconnect young citizens with formal decision-making bodies.
Project Objectives
-Build Strategic Capacities. Train youth in designing, planning, and executing effective, sustainable digital campaigns targeted at civic and social change.
-Overcome Institutional Barriers. Analyze the operational obstacles limiting the impact of digital activism on formal political processes and identify mechanisms to bypass them.
-Develop Communication Competencies. Cultivate key skills in digital storytelling, strategic communication, and the ethical, responsible use of online platforms.
-Address Digital Risks. Raise awareness regarding the structural challenges of cyberactivism, including disinformation, algorithmic bias, and digital access gaps.
-Facilitate Intercultural Exchange. Establish a peer-learning framework where young participants exchange innovative approaches and experiences from different geographical contexts.
-Enhance Civic Agency. Strengthen the sense of local and global community belonging among youth by linking digital efforts to tangible, real-world outcomes.
Participant profile:
-5 participants and 1 youth leader from each country
-Be 18-30 years old
-Be a national or resident in one of the participating countries (Spain, Italy, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Sweden)
– Have a working level of English
-Have an interest in digital democracy and activism
-Commit to participate in the dissemination activities resulting from this exchange
-Be in posession of a European Health Card (or equivalent).
Accommodation and food:
Accommodation, food and activities’ materials: 100% covered by the Erasmus+ Programme. The travel from your hometown to Benicàssim, Spain, and back is covered by the project budget up to a limit. This limit is set by the Erasmus+ Programme rules and calculated using the Erasmus+ Distance Calculator tool. Maximum travel budgets are specified in the table above.
Reminder! Only actual costs, supported by original tickets, invoices, boarding passes, are reimbursed – up to the maximum shown for your country. Reimbursement follows full engagement in the exchange’s activities.
Transport:
The maximum travel budget for participant from Bulgaria is 395 euro.
If you are interested in and would like to take part in please fill the from here : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduhBmS5FXONO3QkCiLOLJMbSpc5SOT-8EbaLIc_vAZW1ulOg/viewform?c=0&w=1
Deadline:
15.09.2026
