The D-EFFECT
The D-Effect project is a need-driven project that is oriented to enable exchange and initiate better collaboration between cross-border stakeholders and local youth environment participants in areas such as democracy, human and civil rights, political systems, and how young people can impact society.
Community of practice
The project is focused on development collaboration, based on various backgrounds, from 5 South Baltic countries, on the creation of a cross-border network – a „community of practice” that will design, test, and evaluate innovative solutions of Cross-Border Youth Democratic Festivals (CB YDF). This will be the first time that this measure will be adopted at a local scale, but also has a transnational character. This method will be adapted to local possibilities and needs of South Baltic cities and municipalities around a common challenge which is the slow abandonment of democratic values by young people. At the same time, it is vital to broaden the participants’ knowledge of the European Union - its structure and organization, history, and present and future values.
Cooperation of youth-oriented stakeholders
The D-effect project promotes the cooperation of youth-oriented stakeholders in the SB Area and contributes to building the problem-solving capabilities of stakeholders and associated organizations from 5 countries: SE, DK, DE, PL, LT. Thus, it adds a new element to capabilities of better youth participation, engagement, and increased education of democratic values that can make local societies more sustainable and resilient and the entire region a more youth-friendly place.
The key actors are local authorities, representatives of the youth environment, and the youth itself as target beneficiaries, for most of which the topic is still a novelty. D-effect will supply them with knowledge and tools to develop strategic approaches and implement concrete measures that bring democratic and EU values into local and regional practice.
The capacity-building process involves a transnational peer learning process. Local youth supporting entities/organizations from SBA will be assisted by R&D institutions/domain experts and co-create:
1) Local engagement and activism strategies for selected model regions that combine measures for:
a) civic participation
b) democratic and EU values engagement
c) promoting multisectoral stakeholder & youth acceptance, understanding, and long-lasting cooperation.
2) A set of complementary pilot measures for democratic engagement and dialogue that depict typical use cases, and that adapt, test, and validate concrete solutions for the transferability of experiences in the SBA which will enable of participation of a wide range of stakeholders.
D-Effect Toolbox
The results are processed into a “D-Effect Toolbox” which will be promoted and disseminated by the newly established “SB Youth-oriented Helpdesk”, which will serve local communities with experience and support. It gives other local authorities, and youth specialists concrete guidance on how to foster youth policies/actions and is pro-actively & widely disseminated to them.
The project will put into practice the local perspective of new methods and tools of democracy promotion based on democracy festivals as open platforms that unite different actors, groups, experiences, and dimensions.
Democracy is more than democratic institutions
Based on the assumption that democracy is more than democratic institutions and written rules, but a culture to be nurtured by creating spaces and platforms where people can physically meet, talk to each other, get inspired, exchange opinions, and debate their ideas.
D-effect turned towards networking activities at the local level. In this regard, steered towards the practical dimension of building engagement with different communities, and foster active civic engagement, a culture of discussion, and critical thinking in response to the alarming rise of authoritarianism and nationalism.