Small voices – big values

PROJECT DESCRIPTION & BACKGROUND

During the summer and autumn of 2025, interactive workshops were held in four regions of Styria with young people aged 11 to 21, particularly targeting youth with migration backgrounds. Participants came from a total of 12 different countries of origin: Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Austria, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Syria, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Ukraine. This ensured broad international participation.

In each region, five workshops focused on EU values, fundamental and human rights, democracy, participation, solidarity, anti-discrimination, as well as educational and career opportunities. Together with the young participants, social media content was created, and recommendations for action were developed for the respective municipalities. These recommendations reflected exclusively the perspectives of the young people and were presented to municipal representatives at the end of 2025.

The participants engaged with topics such as participation, democracy, and integration. They expressed concrete wishes and ideas regarding leisure activities, sports, mobility, safety, affordable living, cultural opportunities, having a voice in local decision-making, and being treated with respect.

TARGET GROUPS

According to the project proposal, the target group consisted of young people with migration backgrounds aged between 13 and 21. However, some younger participants aged 11 also took part in the project due to their strong interest in the activities. Project stakeholders included the young participants themselves, the project team, interpreters, and external cooperation partners such as municipal representatives responsible for education and youth affairs, youth coaching services, dedicated volunteers, and youth centres.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The project contributed to strengthening democratic values, promoting social participation, and building trust in democratic institutions, particularly among young people with migration backgrounds, who are often underrepresented in political discourse. By fostering dialogue between young people, youth workers, and local decision-makers, the project made an important contribution to inclusive democracy.

The activities promoted a shared understanding of values in line with those of the European Union and raised awareness that democracy, the rule of law, and human rights are not abstract concepts, but principles that must be actively shaped, protected, and upheld within people’s everyday lives and local communities.

PROJECT RESULTS

Through Small Voices – Big Values a measurable contribution was made to strengthening democratic competences, promoting EU values, and raising awareness of fundamental and human rights. A total of 20 workshops were conducted across four regions of Styria, involving young people aged 11 to 21, the majority of whom had migration backgrounds. Many participants had previously had little exposure to civic education programmes, democratic participation, or local decision-making processes.

The young participants engaged with key European values such as democracy, the rule of law, equality, solidarity, anti-discrimination, and participation. Through an interactive and youth-centred approach, abstract concepts such as democracy and human rights were connected to their everyday lives, local communities, and personal experiences. As a result, participants developed a better understanding of how they can contribute to shaping their communities and where opportunities for civic engagement exist.

A particularly effective element of the project was the development of recommendations for action from the perspective of the young participants. This process made their views visible and gave them the feeling that their opinions were being taken seriously. Many participants explicitly expressed, for the first time, a desire to have a voice in local decision-making and to become more actively involved in their communities.

European Best Practice Gallery