<< Background >>The PACIFY-D project will be working towards providing innovative training opportunities to young people and establishing Country Info Points as local learning centres for youth education, developing guidance on the organisation and support of the operation of such environments. The purpose is primarily to strengthen democratic attitudes through civic engagement and civic participation. At the same time, the proposed project aims at addressing the needs below:NEEDS OF CITIZENS / YOUNG LEARNERSThe proposed project’s innovative aspects include targeted learning opportunities, specific skills development, and access to information. It will also contribute to increasing young people’s awareness of international relations/cooperation and representative democracy, as well as the role of diplomacy, foreign missions, and European values. It also encourages young men and women (especially those from diverse educational, social and geographical backgrounds) to actively participate in democratic processes by offering them the rare opportunity to engage in different types of diplomacy. The project aims at fostering young people’s active participation in their local communities’ social and political life, while promoting social inclusion, intercultural dialogue, knowledge and recognition of diversity and promotion of tolerance.More specifically, the Young Local Ambassadors will engage in non-formal learning activities around public diplomacy, also using cultural diplomacy tools, such as:•The arts including films, dance, music, painting, sculpture, etc.•Promotion of national languages lessons•Exchanges: scientific, artistic, educational etc.•Literature: book clubs showcasing national literary production•Broadcasting of news and cultural programs•Promotion and explanation of ideas and social policies, as well as engage in culinary diplomacy activities (organisation of food fairs, national cuisine workshops etc.). Among the resources to be used for these activities are Europe’s cultural collections online, including Europeana, the European Film Gateway, and material from the European Capitals of Culture.NEEDS OF PARTNERS, NGOs and CSOs.The proposed project aims to meet the needs of the partner organisations and the targeted NGOs and CSOs on the organisation and sustainability of CIPs as forward-looking learning (and intercultural awareness-raising) centres. This next step is identified as a unique opportunity and a way to engage with their beneficiaries and target groups. It will be achieved through the provision of training sessions and a guide on how to develop Country Info Points in targeted cities and regions as educational/cultural spaces. This is particularly important as it complements the need for the provision of alternative, informal or non-formal, educational activities to young people across Europe.<< Objectives >>PACIFY-D aims to:•Strengthen young people’s sense of initiative, by participating in the social and political life of their communities, while volunteering to foster intercultural dialogue, knowledge and recognition of diversity and promote tolerance.•Educate young people on issues of diversity, cultural differences, political representation, the conduct of international affairs/diplomacy•Confront interpersonal and intergroup/national stereotypes and enhance intercultural understanding as a means to promote better-integrated societies across Europe.•Promote better knowledge about the situation of young people and inform youth policies in Europe and beyond.•Enhance transfer of knowledge between young people from different ethnic backgrounds/countries, between Civil Society/Youth organisations, and between young ambassadors/ex-pats and policymakers in target countries.<< Implementation >>The project is based on a participatory approach and partner ownership and this is reflected in the way the work will be conducted. Tasks have been allocated to partners according to their expertise to ensure that the best use of resources is achieved.Under PR1, the project will embark on both secondary and primary research comprising extensive desk research and focus groups to support the mapping of good practices as regards practices using Youth Centres and cultural activities to encourage civil participation. In that sense, providing lifelong learning opportunities and skills will collectively lead towards strengthening local communities. Finally, to design and build the training programme, the partnership will rely on internal expertise but will also open the design to the views of the target group and of professionals in the field of training, diplomacy and intercultural relations, ensuring thus the applicability of the trainers’ training. The curriculum developed for the PACIFY-D project, will support and complete gaps in life-long learning education related to intercultural relations and will simultaneously encourage and strengthen democratic attitudes and contribute to the active participation of young people in the social and political life (including international relations). The consortium will ensure that the curriculum will be competitive and will draw attention from both youth learning providers and CSOs involved in international and (inter-)cultural relations.PR2 will be the phase of the development of CIPs as learning centres: The methodology and blueprint for the PACIFY-D model that will be developed by the project, will facilitate the development and operation of forward-looking learning centres based on international relations and (cultural) diplomacy, and will provide a model to be adopted and further followed by both youth learning providers and CSOs involved in cultural relations but also in a cross-sectoral way covering diplomacy and international relations aspects. Under PR2, the project will pilot-test the adaptation of public spaces used by project partners into forward-looking learning centre focusing on Young Local Ambassadors. The transformation of the local spaces to CIPs via the use of methodologies developed will contribute to further familiarise communities with EU culture and values, as well as foster social inclusion, and promote the civic participation of young people. The participants of the CIPs will enjoy the opportunity of a blended learning model including both taught modules and real-life activities. The merits of blended learning are widely acknowledged; this approach gives the opportunity to learners to accommodate learning in their own needs, widens up participation, and is considered pivotal for enhancing (esp. young) learners’ competences.PR3 will develop a policy handbook, including a final report on the YLA programme and best practices on CIPs, as well as concrete policy recommendations for the more successful inclusion of young people in the political life of their regions/cities, and in the decision-making process.<< Results >>The expected results of the proposed project during the project’s life are:•R1: Training programme for YLAs in developing skills – This output aims at developing and providing a) the training material for Young Local Ambassadors (YLAs) in the learning centres/Country Info Points; b) Piloting of YLA programme curriculum & evaluation; and c) the development of digital modules. The material will be prepared in both English and the native languages of the consortium implementing countries (Hungary, Italy, Spain, Greece, where CIPs will be established). This result aims at promoting active citizenship and raising intercultural awareness among youth in Europe, by supporting them in the development of key skills for the labour market;•R2: Guide for development of Country Info Points (CIPs) & Piloting – This result aims at designing and providing all the necessary information, methodology, and management plan for establishing and piloting CIPs as forward-looking learning centres that will provide non-formal learning opportunities to participants. The Country Info Points this project will use will be located in Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Greece (consortium implementation countries). This project result will allow us to test the effectiveness of the set-up of CIPs as learning centres, their operation, the variety of training opportunities and activities developed under R1, and lastly the interaction of young participants in CIPs with other stakeholders, such as local authorities, diplomatic missions, as well as international and cultural organisations;•R3: Policy handbook (report & best practices on CIPs, policy recommendations) – Following the piloting of CIPs under R2, a report on the operation of the four piloting CIPs will be produced, including lessons learned and best practices that could be replicated elsewhere. Feedback by all stakeholders involved and the YLAs themselves will be incorporated in the handbook and inform policy recommendations on increasing young people’s civic engagement with people across different countries and leading to a positive impact on their attitudes towards inclusion and democracy. The outcomes from R2 will be used from the partners to design and develop a policy handbook, which will be freely available online in English and all the consortium languages upon the completion of the project, and which will be presented in the final conference in Brussels.Key outcomes of the project will include the following:•Empower youth and increase employment opportunities through training, skills development, and civic and social participation.•Promote active citizenship and raise intercultural awareness among youth in Europe, by supporting them in the development of key skills for the labour market.•Educate the public and decision-makers about foreign nationals (esp. youth)’s culture, needs, and desiderata for better integration into local societies.•Engage with local and ex-pat communities.The expected results of the proposed project after the project’s life are:•At least 80 young men and women benefitting from the curriculum and training material for YLAs;•At least 80 youth trainers/workers benefitting from the guides provided;•At least 4 local authorities gaining experience and knowledge/expertise to run similar learning programmes for civic engagement among youth;•More than 8,000 people reached at the European level through the awareness and dissemination activities;•5 Multiplier events with at least 200 participants; and 1 Multiplier event as the final dissemination event with at least 15 international and 100 virtual participants.•The project’s website, which will contain all the Training materials, the Guide for the development of Country Info Points as non-formal learning centres, as well as the Policy handbook (including best practices on CIPs and policy recommendations).