Context/Background This project has been driven and shaped by the participation and views of young people together with extensive support from other key youth agencies. one of the main focuses of the EU youth strategy is Youth participation. In order to engage and be part of the European project, young people need more opportunities and channels to voice their interests and views. Having run projects over a similar nature over recent years we are aware of the ongoing needs of the young people including the real need to assist young people in becoming more included in the democratic process. Through our outreach programmes and employability services we work on helping young people increase their employability, self-confidence and work to foster a positive sense of belonging in the European community. We have led on many regional, national and European funded projects aimed at promoting the employability of young people, fostering agency amongst young peoples and actively promoting ideals of tolerance, respect of diversity and human rights. The objectives To foster and develop a sense of European identity and feeling in young people and young workers. To introduce European wide key issues through a variety of means (key local youth agencies, politicians and media groups in non-formal education settings) To encouraging young people to come together from different backgrounds and discover ‘Europe’ through guided youth led activities, effective information debates and the development of youth media on a variety of topics Profile of Participant Majority of young people have limited social skills or anti-social or risky sexual behaviours, young people in a precarious situation, (ex )offenders, (ex )drug or alcohol abusers, young and/or single parents, orphans, young people from broken families. Many of the young people are often isolated in the community, have low confidence and self esteem and often not confident enough to participate with mainstream society. young immigrants or refugees or descendants from immigrant or refugee families, young people belonging to a national or ethnic minority, young people with linguistic adaptation and cultural inclusion problems, etc. In addition, much of the young population of lack a stable home life and there is a dearth of positive role models or positive influences in their lives. Many of the young people are often isolated in the community, have low confidence and self esteem and often not confident enough to participate with mainstream society. Project Activities The project will deliver 10 days of activities in October-November 2015 including seminars, workshops and discussion based around meetings between 36 young people from participating countries, plus decision makers from partner countries, representative of a youth worker and national youth agency , with a focus on those from disadvantaged/excluded backgrounds. Non-Formal Learning: The project will provide young people the space to interact, debate and ask questions during the entire process. This will give them the opportunity to learn in an environment where their assertions will be challenged in a gentle way while ensuring they can receive information in different channels (debate, one-to-one, presentation) that can suit the informal learning styles of all the young people. There will also be online spaces on social platforms where young people can go to start a discussion with a policy maker or youth worker. This will provide another avenue for young people to develop in a personal way that affords them the opportunities. Team building that involve creative tasks where young people from diverse backgrounds can utilise their innovative skills while cooperating. The expected mid/long term impacts produced by the activities in the 2020 Vision project are foreseen as follows: - Young people engaged in discussing contemporary European issues - Young people more in touch with civic society and more aware of their views - More young people engaged in youth democracy and are likely to become more active in other local issues of relevance - Increase in employability skills, confidence and ultimately employment rates amongst youth participants - Web based social/professional network which would used to disseminate project information, new initiatives in this area and multiply the impacts of the project beyond it’s initial lifetime - Greater understanding of youth issues across our European network Increased the self-esteem, confidence and motivation of young people to get involved in local community activities and participate more in local society. This could transcend to joining community clubs, school clubs, college sports activities, societies or just reducing the fear of socialising by on their comfort zone of ghettoised cultural communities.