Organise a local event on Fundamental Rights and the Future of Europe!

As part of the Ways of Europe project, co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme of the European Union, JEF Europe is launching a microgrant scheme to support local activities organised by its national and local sections.

We invite JEF sections to organise engaging, in-person events that bring young people together to discuss European values, fundamental rights, and the future of an inclusive Europe. 

Through this call, we aim to empower local sections to translate the themes of the Ways of Europe campaign into meaningful conversations and community engagement across Europe.

What is the project?

Ways of Europe is a European cooperation project exploring how fundamental rights, democracy and participation can be strengthened through dialogue, storytelling and youth engagement. The project encourages participants to connect the values enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union with contemporary societal challenges and lived experiences.

Local events should create spaces where participants can reflect on these themes through interactive and participatory formats.

What is the goal of this microgrant?

The microgrants will support 10 local events organised by JEF Europe’s local and national sections. Each event should:

• take place in person;
• involve at least 7-10 participants;
• encourage active participation and dialogue;
• connect local discussions with the themes of the Ways of Europe project and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

The format is entirely flexible. Sections are encouraged to design activities that best suit their local context, such as:

• workshops;
• public discussions or debates;
• panel discussions;
• cultural or artistic activities;
• storytelling sessions;
• film screenings followed by discussions;
• walks, exhibitions or interactive installations;
• other creative participatory formats.

Events should be open and accessible, fostering dialogue among young people and local communities.

Suggested thematic focus

Applicants are encouraged to build their event around one or more of the following articles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union:

• Article 1 – Human Dignity
  Exploring dignity, human rights, recognition and the inclusion of marginalised voices.
• Article 6 – Right to Liberty and Security
  Reflecting on freedom, protection, safety, borders and security.
• Article 11 – Freedom of Expression and Information
  Discussing youth voices, storytelling, media, podcasts and the free circulation of ideas.
• Article 18 – Right to Asylum
  Addressing migration, protection, solidarity and Europe’s responsibilities towards refugees.
• Article 21 – Non-discrimination
  Promoting equality, anti-racism, gender justice, minority rights and inclusion.
• Article 22 – Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Diversity
  Celebrating Europe’s diversity, multilingualism and intercultural dialogue.
• Article 34 – Social Security and Social Assistance
  Examining poverty, housing, social exclusion and access to social protection.

In addition, applicants are welcome to connect their activities to the topic of EU Enlargement, exploring how enlargement contributes to democracy, solidarity, fundamental rights and the future of Europe.

Available funding

A total of 10 microgrants are available. There is a possibility that several sections can get more than one microgrant within the same call!

Each selected section will receive a fixed grant of €250 to organise one local event.

The budget is flexible, allowing sections to allocate the funding according to the needs of their activity (e.g. venue, materials, refreshments, speakers, communication, accessibility measures or local transport). No detailed budget breakdown is required, but applicants should briefly explain how the funding will support their event.

Timeline

• Application deadline: 31 July
• Selection results communicated: 5 August
• Implementation period: 10 August – 5 September

Events must take place within the implementation period.

 

How to apply

Complete the application form by 31 July (23:59 CEST).

Applications will be assessed based on:

• relevance to the themes of Ways of Europe;
• quality and feasibility of the proposed activity;
• expected local impact;
• diversity of activities and geographical balance across selected sections.

 

Reporting duties:

• Signature list (provided template)
• Photos
• Short report
• Disseminate the EU survey right after the event.

 

Eligible sections can be Local, regional and national sections from all EU countries except: Italy, France, the Netherlands and Hungary. 

Plus those from non EU sections in: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine.