Towards Inclusive Europe supports the inclusion, participation and active citizenship of young people with diverse cultural background in civil society while developing awareness-raising activities in host communities, supporting understanding and valuing the different world-views, traditions and ways of life of peoples of culturally diverse origins.

The project aims to engage young people with diverse background, in the exercise of their rights and responsibilities in society, raise awareness about common European values and fundamental rights and improve their feeling of belonging to the community, both at the local and European levels. The project contributes to reducing the risks of social exclusion and violence to which young migrants in transition to adult life are especially exposed.

The direct beneficiaries of the “Towards Inclusive Europe” project are young people from diverse background interested to participate in inclusion projects with young people and local organizations. They are motivated to develop competences and share experiences, especially at the community level, but also taking into account a broader European perspective.

The project “Towards inclusive Europe: active participation of young people from the local to the European level” had the mission of supporting the inclusion, participation and active citizenship of young people from diverse backgrounds while developing awareness-raising activities in local host communities, supporting understanding and valuing the different worldviews, customs and ways of life of people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

The project aimed to support diverse groups of local and migrant young people in exercising their rights and responsibilities in society through dialogue with representatives of the administration and elected decision-makers. The project also sought to raise awareness of shared European values ​​and fundamental rights and to enhance their sense of belonging to the community, both locally and at the European level.

The specific objectives that the project aims to address are:

• Empowering disadvantaged young people to address current challenges to inclusion and dialogue in Europe by exploring the role of youth work in deconstructing prejudice and discrimination in society;
• Strengthening collaboration between young people, civil society organizations, public administrations and political representatives to create spaces for constructive dialogue in the area of ​​youth participation, fostering active citizenship processes;
• Implement youth participation practices that reduce racism and intolerance with the aim of promoting equality, intercultural dialogue and the common values ​​of freedom and tolerance, as well as respect for human rights;
• To increase quality and develop cooperation strategies within the Erasmus+ programme, especially in the areas of youth participation and inclusion.

Based on the planned activities, support is given to the social inclusion of these youth groups and their access to active participation, personal development and autonomy through youth work and non-formal education activities.
Alongside this process of developing European citizenship competences, the project proposes youth participation events to promote intercultural dialogue, visualise and deconstruct prejudices in their communities.

The project developed a structured plan of activities including meetings to explore the main challenges to inclusion with the administration representatives.

• Meetings with representatives of the youth organisations in several municipalities of Catalonia.
• Joint dialogues between the young people of diverse origines, the representatives from the local administration and the decision makers in each muicipality where the dialogue is hold
• A Dialogue with the Representation of the European Commission in Barcelona.
• Study visit to the European institutions in Brussels
• Dialogues bringing together the proposals collected throughout the municipal-level activities at the European Commission in Brussels. 
• A training on social rights, inclusion and active youth participation.

The Dialogue event is framed within the objective of preparing, implementing and evaluating youth participation practices with the aim of promoting equality, intercultural dialogue and common European values ​​of freedom and tolerance, as well as respect for human rights.

Finally, the project organised a last meeting bringing together all these experience to a final Training on intercultural participation and inclusion

This mobility focuses on the objective of empowering young people from diverse backgrounds to address current challenges to inclusion and dialogue in Europe by exploring the role of youth work in deconstructing prejudice and discrimination in society;

The training also contributes to constructive dialogue in the field of youth participation by enhancing active citizenship processes, and promotes youth participation practices that reduce racism and intolerance with the aim of promoting equality, intercultural dialogue and the common values ​​of freedom and tolerance, as well as respect for human rights;

Dialogues were prepared and held in several municipalities in Catalonia. Each dialogue event was preceeded of several weeks of preparation that included a preparatory meeting with the representatives of the local administration, where the main challenges to inclusion were addressed.

A second meeting addressing active participation and challenges to inclusion was implemented bringing the young people together with the youth organisations and other civil society organisations.

Finally, the joint dialogue was the last stage of that process, and brought all the participants of the previous encounteres together with the young people from diverse backgrounds. 

Hereby, the main challenges and results in three of them:

Lleida

In the local dialogue held in Lleida, discussions highlighted the persistent challenges faced by young people from diverse backgrounds when trying to access participation, education and public services. Language barriers, limited cultural mediation and a lack of representative spaces continue to restrict meaningful engagement, while institutional participation mechanisms often fail to reflect the diversity of local communities. These dynamics were closely linked to broader structural inequalities, particularly in education, where early school leaving, school segregation and limited access to Catalan language learning disproportionately affect migrant youth and their families.

The dialogue also revealed how exclusion extends beyond formal education into leisure spaces, social services and gender-related contexts. Young people from diverse backgrounds remain largely absent from youth and community spaces, while migrant communities are frequently approached through risk-based frameworks rather than as rights-holders. Women of diverse origins face additional barriers related to care responsibilities, digital exclusion and difficulties accessing support resources. Across the conversation, participants emphasised the need for more inclusive, rights-based and culturally responsive approaches capable of addressing discrimination, bureaucratic barriers and the chronic nature of inequality in the local context.

Tarragona

The local dialogue in Tarragona brought forward the everyday barriers faced by young people from diverse backgrounds in relation to participation, education and social belonging. Gender differences were particularly visible, with young women participating far less in youth activities, often requiring women-led spaces to feel safe and represented. Language also emerged as a key challenge, as access to education is frequently conditioned by linguistic barriers and inclusion is often carried out in Spanish, even when young people actively use Catalan. These dynamics contribute to low educational attainment and reinforce uncertainty about future opportunities.

The conversation also highlighted strong territorial and cultural divides, described as “invisible borders” between neighbourhoods and the city centre. Young people from segregated areas face limited access to leisure education, cultural spaces and opportunities for intercultural exchange, which reinforces isolation and weakens social cohesion. While employment is generally accessible, discrimination, particularly against young women who wear a headscarf, continues to restrict access to certain jobs, especially in public-facing roles. Overall, participants stressed the need to create safer, more inclusive spaces that foster cultural exchange, reduce discrimination and support young people in building realistic and hopeful future pathways.

Olot

The local dialogue in Olot focused on the need to create inclusive youth and community spaces where young people from diverse backgrounds can meet, participate and take an active role in shaping their environment. Discussions highlighted the lack of stable, open spaces for youth-led initiatives and the importance of fostering self-management, dialogue and mediation as alternatives to punitive or police-led responses to conflict. Participants emphasised the value of community-based spaces that connect young people, professionals, organisations and local institutions, strengthening trust and shared responsibility at the local level.

Education, employment and access to housing emerged as closely interconnected challenges. The dialogue pointed to the need for more inclusive and anti-racist educational environments, stronger guidance for newly arrived young people and greater involvement of families in school life. At the same time, discrimination in the labour market, barriers to decent housing and residential segregation continue to limit opportunities for young people and families of diverse origins. Across all areas, participants stressed the importance of intercultural dialogue, visible representation, and meaningful youth participation in local decision-making processes as key conditions for building a more cohesive, inclusive and resilient community.

Barcelona - European Commission Regional Representation in Barcelona

The final dialogue, held at the European Commission Representation in Barcelona, brought together organisations that had participated in previous local dialogues to collectively reflect on the challenges identified across municipalities and translate them into shared priorities at European level. Discussions highlighted the need for a clearer and common definition of inclusion across the EU, alongside stronger commitments to inclusive and anti-racist education, improved training for educators and fairer access to educational opportunities such as Erasmus programmes. Participants also stressed the structural barriers created by slow and unequal bureaucratic processes, particularly around residence registration, documentation and the recognition of qualifications, which continue to limit access to rights and opportunities.

The dialogue further underlined the importance of addressing discrimination in the labour and housing markets, promoting anonymous recruitment processes, setting minimum targets for public and affordable housing, and ensuring equitable access to social and youth spaces across territories. Concerns around political participation, disinformation and polarising narratives about migration were also central, pointing to the need for stronger political advocacy at European level, media literacy and coordinated awareness campaigns that recognise migrants’ contributions and counter “us versus them” narratives.

Overall, this dialogue marked a key step in moving from local realities to European advocacy, positioning civil society as a bridge between young people, communities and EU institutions.

List of Municipalities where the Dialogues have been implemented:

• Igualada
• Tortosa
• Vic
• Lleida
• Olot
• Tarragona
• Barcelona - European Commission Regional Representation in Barcelona

+ links with the post with the results of each Dialogue

In frames of the Dialogues implemented in the municipalities around Catalonia, a mapping of organisations has been created to visualise this diversity.

Zooming in each municipality of the map, there are the contact details and description of the organisations that have participated in the dialogues.

The tool is though to visualise these organisations and to support networking and the creation of synergies between them.

Mapping of organisations

The direct expected impact of the project is the development of competences for active participation, inclusion, personal development and autonomy through youth work and non-formal education activities. 

The project develops competences in the exercise of rights and responsibilities in society, raises awareness of common European values and fundamental rights and improves their sense of belonging to the community, both at local and European level.

In parallel to this process of developing competencies for European citizenship, the project proposes youth participation events to promote intercultural dialogue, make visible and deconstruct prejudices of host communities in public space.

The impact and visibility of the project in the community is made through youth participation events, meetings with those responsible for the administration and political representatives.

Within the framework of the project, this second mobility is being developed, this time to meet and establish dialogue with representatives of European institutions to address current challenges for inclusion and dialogue in Europe, exploring the role of youth work to deconstruct prejudices and discrimination in society;

It also strengthens collaboration between young people from diverse backgrounds, civil society organisations at the European level, administrations and political representatives in European institutions to generate spaces for constructive dialogue in the field of youth participation, enhancing active citizenship processes;

Mobility also aims to increase quality and develop cooperation strategies within the Erasmus+ program, especially in the areas of youth participation and inclusion.

Outcomes of the meetings

A walk through Belgium’s colonial past

Walking through Europe’s history: from Parlamentarium to the Hemicycle

Dialogue with the Committee on Development of the European Parliament

The Roma struggle within an inclusive Europe

Dialogue with the European Commission

The project "Towards Inclusive Europe" has demonstrated the value of youth-led dialogue as an effective tool to connect local realities with policy discussions at European level, influencing how inclusion is understood and practiced across different governance contexts. By creating structured spaces for dialogue with young people, civil society organisations and public authorities, the project strengthened youth agency, promoted intercultural understanding and made visible the everyday barriers faced by young people from diverse backgrounds in education, participation, employment and community life. These exchanges contributed to the development of a rights-based narrative grounded in lived experience, enhancing capacities for civic engagement and reinforcing young people’s sense of belonging and active citizenship within their communities.

Importantly, the project forged strategic spaces of collaboration between grassroots actors, youth workers, local administrations and European institutions, demonstrating that when diverse voices are given real opportunities to influence decision-making, policy conversations become more inclusive and responsive. The process highlighted the need to move beyond fragmented or short-term responses towards coordinated strategies that recognise young people with migrant backgrounds as active contributors to social cohesion and democratic life. At the same time, the project supported the development of key competences for active European citizenship, including critical thinking, civic participation and intercultural dialogue.

Building on these outcomes, "Towards Inclusive Europe" outlines clear directions for future development. At local level, it calls for the institutionalisation of inclusive youth participation mechanisms within municipal policies, the integration of intercultural and anti-discrimination approaches in education and community services, and sustained support for youth-led initiatives that foster dialogue and social cohesion. At European level, the project advocates for clearer and harmonised frameworks on inclusion across Member States, more equitable access to mobility, participation and learning programmes, simplified administrative procedures that uphold fundamental rights, and continued investment in civic awareness initiatives that counter polarising narratives around migration. By bridging local experience with European policy processes, the project lays a strong foundation for long-term cooperation aimed at building a more inclusive, democratic and rights-centred Europe.

The project will conclude with a final dissemination meeting held in the Delta de l’Ebre, which brought together participants, partner organisations and stakeholders to share the main outcomes of "Towards Inclusive Europe" and reflect collectively on its impact. This final meeting will serve as a space to consolidate the learning generated throughout the project, highlight key insights from the local and European dialogues, and reinforce the role of youth participation as a driver for inclusion, active citizenship and intercultural understanding.

Beyond dissemination, the meeting will mark a moment of transition towards the future. It will reaffirm the shared commitment to continue developing the project’s outcomes, strengthening collaboration between local and European actors, and expanding its impact in the coming years.

The Delta de l’Ebre meeting will close the current project cycle while opening new perspectives for sustained action at both local and European levels.