Why the Project Was Implemented
"Debatable Me 2" was born from the success and feedback of a previous project, "Debatable Me", implemented in 2023. After the first edition, many participants expressed their desire to continue exploring topics related to democracy and politics, while further practicing their debating skills. This motivated us to create a new project directly shaped by the young people's voices, focusing more deeply on democratic participation and critical political thinking.
The context was clear: youth participation in Europe remains alarmingly low, with only 16% involved in public consultations and about 46% exercising their right to vote. Coupled with upcoming national elections in all participating countries — Romania, Lithuania, Greece, Hungary, and Spain — "Debatable Me 2" aimed to prepare young people for informed, active participation in democratic life, enhancing their skills for future civic engagement.
Objectives and Activities
The main goal of "Debatable Me 2" was to empower 40 young people aged 18–23 from Romania, Hungary, Spain, Greece, and Lithuania to become active and informed citizens through intercultural debate and critical thinking activities.
The specific objectives were:
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To create an engaging environment where young participants could debate social and political topics, thus increasing their democratic participation and knowledge.
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To strengthen participants’ capacity for thoughtful, informed voting.
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To support partner organisations in better mentoring young people towards civic engagement and democratic participation.
Over the 10 days in Bagaciu, participants engaged in non-formal learning activities such as team building, political system simulations, introduction to the political compass, debating exercises, creating presidential campaigns, and proposing and defending new laws. They explored their own political ideologies, learned the art of argumentation, and worked both in teams and individually.
A city visit to Sibiu also allowed participants to connect with the local community and practice their intercultural skills. The project concluded with a YouthPass award ceremony, group reflections, and discussions about future engagement and dissemination of the project results.
Results and Impact
The "Debatable Me 2" project produced both tangible and intangible outcomes that made a lasting impact on participants, organisations, and communities.
Participants developed stronger public speaking skills, critical thinking, political knowledge, debating abilities, and thoughtful voting capacities. They became more confident, socially active, and better prepared to engage in democratic processes in their own countries. Five months after the project, follow-up surveys confirmed that 75% of participants felt an increase in their democratic engagement, and 52.5% reported improved thoughtful voting capacities.
Tangible results included:
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Flipcharts and posters created during workshops
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National dissemination events across the five participating countries
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The creation of an active online debate community among participants.
The project also strengthened the capacities of partner organisations and increased the visibility of Erasmus+ opportunities within their communities.
A toolkit created during the mobility with everything someone new into politics needs to know for a basic understanding of how it works and how it affects us