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European Living Library for Young Citizens

Using human stories to challenge stereotypes, connect generations and inspire young people to shape the future of Europe.

Project status Completed Duration 36 months · March 2020 — February 2023

Full project name: European Living Library For Young Citizens
Project duration: 36 months · March 2020 — February 2023
Programme: Europe for Citizens Programme
Country(es): Belgium, Slovenia, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia, Greece
Value of the project: €148,680
Partners: Connect International

PRONI CENTER FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Tipovej!

Libero

Javni zavod Mladi Zmaji

BACKSLASH

ZDRUZENIE ZA KULTURNA SORABOTKA INTERKULTURA SKOPJE

SYLLOGOS APOFITON EKPEDEFTIRION MANDOULIDI

Nacionalna Asocijacija kancelarija za mlade

DIPUTACION PROVINCIAL DE VALENCIA

Municipality Butel

City of Bijeljina

City Municipality of Vracar

OUT OF THE BOX INTERNATIONAL

Project overview

European Living Library for Young Citizens used personal stories and dialogue to challenge stereotypes and encourage active participation in Europe’s democratic and social life. Through Living Library events across seven countries, the project connected young people with diverse communities and promoted intercultural understanding, inclusion and shared European values.

Project ELL FOR YOUNG CITIZENS involved 14 partners from 7 countries. The basic idea was to
use the Living Library (LL) methodology as an effective tool for educating and motivating young
people for socio-political engagements and participation in the debate on the future of Europe. It is
organized to boost the dialogue with citizens belonging to different socio-economic groups, young
people, elderly, migrants, and women, in order to break prejudices and stereotypes.

Activities:
ELL events involved 623 directly and 422 000 indirectly involved participants and were organized
in public squares, youth centers and libraries. 6 ELL events are held in Thessaloniki (GR) Bijeljina
(B&H), Skopje (NM), Valencia (SP), Ljubljana (SL) and Belgrade (SR) where the final event was
organized.

To achieve our objectives, we took the following actions:
We organized ELL events with the following workshops and campaigning activities. Our special
focus was to talk to young people who are socio-politically passive and have fewer opportunities.
At the workshops we organized, young people had the opportunity to exchange with elderly,
people with fewer opportunities, youngsters from EU and non-EU states and at the end with
citizens of hosting cities. This directly influenced perspectives and understanding of their common
problems and implications on their lives.

This project included 14 different partners from 7 countries and it was an opportunity for building a
strong coalition which would present to each community an example of intercultural cooperation
under the flag of common European values. Online workshops before events and workshops at
EULL were held with involvement of all project partners discussing LL methodology and its impact
as well as other topics of project. Stories of “living books” coming from 4 focus target groups are
the main protagonist of events but also of the documentary we have prepared. In this events and
movie they share their stories, vision of Europe and what worries them.

Project Results

Six public Living Library events were organised across six European cities to foster dialogue between young people, elderly citizens, migrants and women on the future of Europe. The initiative directly engaged 623 participants, reached more than 422,000 people indirectly and produced a documentary and social media campaign that extended its impact to more than 25,000 young people.