YSI-ACT – What’s It All About?
YSI-ACT Project: Empowering Youth for Inclusive Civic Participation
Across the EU, youth from marginalised backgrounds—migrants, minorities, and vulnerable groups—face social exclusion, discrimination, and limited political engagement. Challenges vary by country but share common themes: restricted civic participation, institutional barriers, and disengagement from formal political processes.
- Spain: Migrant and minority youth encounter discrimination, with unaccompanied children facing systemic barriers. Interest in politics exists but is largely limited to voting.
- Bulgaria: Roma and migrant youth experience severe exclusion, high unemployment, and low political involvement. Volunteering is valued but lacks institutional support.
- Cyprus: Youth participation is among the lowest in Europe, with civic engagement limited to voting and social media. Discrimination against asylum seekers and minorities remains prevalent.
- Finland: While youth voter turnout is rising, minority groups still face discrimination, and there is growing disengagement from civic institutions.
YSI-ACT seeks to amplify youth voices, advocate for inclusive policies, and create meaningful opportunities for civic and political participation. By empowering young people, we can build a more inclusive and democratic future.
Objectives
1.
Combat Discrimination & Raise Awareness – Engage vulnerable youth directly to challenge stereotypes and prejudices while educating them on EU human rights protections, including key institutions, treaties, and legal frameworks.
2.
Empower Youth for Active Participation – Equip young people with social and emotional skills to foster inclusion and encourage youth-led initiatives that promote solidarity and civic engagement.
3.
Innovate Youth Work Practices – Develop and share new methodologies with youth professionals, integrating non-formal education and participatory approaches to enhance inclusion and activism.
Target Groups
- Youth (16-25 years old)
- Youth workers & educators
- CSO representatives
- Activists & other stakeholders
Methodologies
- Theatre of the Oppressed & Playback Theatre – Using creative expression to explore social issues and empower marginalized voices.
- Participatory Action Research – Engaging youth in identifying challenges and co-creating solutions.
- Process Work & Deep Democracy – Encouraging open dialogue and diverse perspectives to build inclusive communities.
Expected Results
For youth:
- Awareness of human rights mechanisms.
- Enhanced skills for active citizenship.
- Motivation to create solidarity initiatives.
For Youth Workers and Educators:
- Access to innovative tools and methods.
- Expanded professional networks.
- Improved conflict resolution and civic engagement skills.
Activities
YSI-ACT Focus Group
A 2-day Focus Group will centre around solidarity, needs and expectations of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and strategies to increase youth participation in socially valuable projects.
YSI-ACT Toolkit
The YSI-ACT Toolkit will be the tangible result of the work for creating a learning path of non-formal education activities designed for youth workers and educators. The goal is to raise awareness, motivate, and activate youth around social equality, justice, and solidarity. The activities will be part of the Theatre of the Oppressed, Process Work & Deep Democracy, Active Participation Research and Playback Theatre Methodologies. The Toolkit will be available in available in 5 languages Bulgarian, English, Finnish, Greek, and Spanish.
YSI-ACT International Training for Solidarity Action
The 3-day YSI-ACT International Training for Solidarity Action will focus on activities developed for the Toolkit, which will be tested and evaluated by participants.
YSI-ACT Meeting with Stakeholders
In the YSI-ACT Meeting with stakeholders, partners will present the project’s progress, test and evaluate its content and activities, and provide a networking platform for experts. Insights from the meeting will be incorporated into the Toolkit.
YSI-ACT Youth Camp
The 4-day YSI-ACT Youth Camp will equip participants with skills to design, organize, and implement local social and solidarity initiatives. Preparatory activities will include two 2-hour online sessions to build group cohesion and introduce project topics before the in-person camp in Barcelona. By the camp’s end, participants will have developed a plan for their local activities to implement in their home countries.
YSI-time-to-ACT Workshops
Partners will hold YSI-time to-ACT workshops to support national groups in implementing their initiatives. The workshops will include two sessions: a 3-hour session before the initiatives to provide guidance and a 3-hour session afterwards to evaluate the process and outcomes.
Youth-led Initiatives
Youngsters from all partner countries will carry out their youth-led local activities with support from the partner organization. Suggested activities include workshops, debates, movie screenings, performances, and public interventions.
YSI-ACT Forum Theatre Presentation
The YSI-ACT Forum Theatre Presentation in Spain will bring together participants such as youth, youth workers, organizations, CSOs, stakeholders, and activists. The event will showcase Forum Theatre plays co-created by participants of the YSI-ACT Youth Camp, expressing their perspectives on solidarity and social inclusion.
YSI-ACT National Reports
The National Reports will compile findings from national desk research, the experiences of the YSI-ACT Local Workshops for Youth, the YSI-time to-ACT workshops, and the youth-led initiatives. These reports will provide insights, best practices, and examples to inspire organizations, youth workers, and young people in promoting social action and solidarity.
YSI-ACT Final Conference
The YSI-ACT Final Conference will bring together students, educators, youth workers, and stakeholders. The event will feature:
- A presentation of the project outcomes, including the YSI-ACT Toolkit, videos, and National Reports.
- Testing activities from the YSI-ACT Toolkit.
- Opportunities for debate and networking.
Project partners
La Xixa is a non-profit organisation created in 2010, oriented towards the research, development and multiplication of theatrical tools and popular education as a means of social transformation. The mission of La Xixa Teatre is to facilitate the creation of empowerment spaces through Participatory Methodologies, Artistic Mediation, Process-Oriented Psychology and the Theatre of the Oppressed to generate processes of individual and collective transformation.
YEU Cyprus is a Nicosia-based NGO empowering youth to drive social change through training, exchanges, and volunteer programs. Focused on areas like human rights, sustainability, and active citizenship, it leads projects locally and globally to foster youth engagement and impact.
Active Bulgarian Society (ABS) engages young people in societal issues through European Mobility and Training programs, promoting social inclusion, skill development, and proactive social attitudes. Focusing on sustainable development, education, and cultural exchange, ABS collaborates with youth organizations across Europe, organizing training, exchanges, eco and sport initiatives, and citizenship activities, including thematic “Chat Clubs” at local schools.
Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Laurea is a highly awarded University of Applied Sciences located in the Greater Helsinki Region, Finland. It specializes in social sciences, business, health, and sports. Renowned for its holistic approach to healthcare research and its innovative use of creative methods — such as drama and multisensory techniques — Laurea promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration to advance social well-being and community health.
Hi, I’m Kaisa, a drama bug-bitten project manager at Laurea! It is great to be able to involve both youth workers and young people in this project, and of course to learn new things myself. We have a really enthusiastic team full of humour!
I’m Anu. At Laurea, I teach various creative client work methods, such as drama, story theatre and literary therapy, and I strongly believe in people and the miracle of learning. On the trip to Bulgaria, I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm, expertise and shared stories of our team.
Hi, I’m Tepi. I work with young people who have challenges with criminal behaviour and substance abuse. In my work, I try to support young people in finding alternatives to their life path, so that they would feel inclusion, appreciation and inclusion in society as a full and influential member of society.
I am Niina and my heart returns to community and inclusion. I have experience in the world of shelters and child welfare, and I feel that drama and physicality are miserably underused in those fields. – But it’s not long! The project trip strengthened the belief that spontaneity and curiosity live in all of us.
I’m Laura, the instructor of Leikkiväki ry for several years. Drama as a method is close to my heart, so I had to go all the way to Bulgaria to marvel at it! The little person didn’t know what she was going to get- that’s the magic of drama!
Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Laurea is a highly awarded University of Applied Sciences located in the Greater Helsinki Region, Finland. It specializes in social sciences, business, health, and sports. Renowned for its holistic approach to healthcare research and its innovative use of creative methods — such as drama and multisensory techniques — Laurea promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration to advance social well-being and community health.
Hi, I’m Kaisa, a drama bug-bitten project manager at Laurea! It is great to be able to involve both youth workers and young people in this project, and of course to learn new things myself. We have a really enthusiastic team full of humour!
I’m Anu. At Laurea, I teach various creative client work methods, such as drama, story theatre and literary therapy, and I strongly believe in people and the miracle of learning. On the trip to Bulgaria, I was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm, expertise and shared stories of our team.
Hi, I’m Tepi. I work with young people who have challenges with criminal behaviour and substance abuse. In my work, I try to support young people in finding alternatives to their life path, so that they would feel inclusion, appreciation and inclusion in society as a full and influential member of society.
I am Niina and my heart returns to community and inclusion. I have experience in the world of shelters and child welfare, and I feel that drama and physicality are miserably underused in those fields. – But it’s not long! The project trip strengthened the belief that spontaneity and curiosity live in all of us.
I’m Laura, the instructor of Leikkiväki ry for several years. Drama as a method is close to my heart, so I had to go all the way to Bulgaria to marvel at it! The little person didn’t know what she was going to get- that’s the magic of drama!
