Next Generation JEF 

JEF Sections could apply for two different types of grants in order to take into account different needs and capacity: either smaller-scale grants of €500 or else larger-scale grants ranging from €3000 to €5000.

Sections were selected by an external Advisory Board, who ensured that among all the criteria, all beneficiaries addressed intersectional barriers in their applications. This criteria was specifically emphasised  in order to ultimately further diversify JEF Europe’s membership, and ensure more representation across the JEF network.

In 2024, JEF Europe allocated 34,000 EUR of grants to its member sections as part of its Next Generation JEF (NGJ) re-granting scheme. The grants support the grassroots of the organisation,  empowering sections to implement tailored actions addressing specific local needs while also addressing intersectional barriers to enhance diversity in JEF Europe’s membership, ensuring better representation of various social groups across the network.

This scheme falls under the “financial support to third parties” budget in the Operating Grant of JEF Europe for 2024 which is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Commission (Grant Agreement no. 101140647).

Implementation Period: 4th January 2024 – 30th November 2024

Application Deadline: 3rd March 2024

€4000

JEF Valencia applied for the NGJ re-granting scheme to fund a capacity-building seminar. The project aims to empower marginalised women and the LGBTQ+ community through a two-day seminar to enhance their roles in the upcoming European elections. It promotes inclusive representation, engagement, and advocacy in European politics.

€2400

JEF Romania’s proposal includes two half-day workshops in Brașov and Oradea to enhance youth advocacy skills, fostering collaboration post-EU elections. This project aims to create a structured framework for discussing the European Union and its values outside of academic and political settings. It targets a potentially disenfranchised audience, providing them with a valuable platform. Organising these activities after the upcoming EU elections could foster an environment of collaboration, driven by the youth’s interest in the EU.

€3200

Addressing intersectional barriers, JEF Netherlands is organising various initiatives to empower diverse communities ahead of the 2024 European elections. These include a social media campaign on intersectional barriers, street actions in multiple cities to raise awareness about minority rights, and a two-day workshop on language and intercultural dialogue. These actions aim to foster dialogue, build capacity, and empower individuals, starting in April and concluding in July.

€1500

JEF Malta’s annual Integrated Democratic European (IDE) simulation empowers youth with essential policymaking and lobbying skills, enhancing their understanding of European democracy, federalism, and active citizenship. This initiative aligns with JEF Malta and JEF Europe’s goals of bringing Europe closer to youth and promoting European integration. The simulation includes a preparatory session, a weekend-long event, and a meeting with policymakers. Participants engage in critical debates on EU policies and current affairs, presenting their outcomes to policymakers to influence decision-making processes. This hands-on experience helps youth develop critical thinking, public speaking, and argumentation skills, while also increasing their appreciation for active citizenship beyond voting.

€3800

JEF Latvia is organising a two-day training in Riga in Spring 2024 for current and upcoming members. The training will feature interactive lectures and workshops on federalism, debating and representation skills, and misinformation. Following the training, participants will engage in practical activities, including municipality visits to discuss with politicians and school visits. This initiative aims to empower members, strengthen the community, and encourage active political participation.

€4000

JEF Italy’s project has two main parts with clear aims and objectives. The first part is a federalist event at the Local Eye festival in Forli in May, designed to increase visibility and engage a broader audience. Activities include organizing the event, public engagement, and a promotional campaign to attract new activists, raise public awareness, and enhance community involvement. The second part consists of eight local events across various Italian cities from May to July, focused on raising awareness about European treaty reforms and elections. These activities will include workshops, seminars, and campaign promotions to inform the public, increase campaign support, and boost voter turnout, ahead of the elections.

€4500

JEF France aims to reach diverse citizens across the country before the European elections. From May 18 to June 6, five itineraries will cover the north, south, centre, and west regions with teams of at least four volunteers each, travelling by train and car, stopping in over 30 locations. The project will include educational activities and militant actions to bring Europe closer to its citizens. Transnational actions will occur in cities like Lille, Grenoble, Nice, and Toulouse with cross-border sections from Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. The tour will target regions with fewer local sections and smaller towns to raise awareness and engage diverse audiences, prioritising education zones and youth centres.

€2200

JEF Czechia’s project will discuss the EU’s humanitarian and military response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, focusing on national historical, socio-political, and cultural contexts. In partnership with sections from Passau, Steiermark, and V4, an international JEF event will be held in Mikulov to integrate members outside the capital and connect with international JEFers. Activities include a seminar, panel discussion, workshop, city tour, and social events. The event, involving up to 15 participants from at least four sections, is scheduled for September or early October 2024.

€1900 

JEF Bulgaria will run a campaign to boost youth voter turnout, strengthen cooperation among youth CSOs, and highlight the importance of European values. The project includes a workshop in Sofia, a public debate with MEP candidates on Europe Day, and an open discussion with elected MEPs in October. Additionally, a social media campaign will debunk EU myths, and a journalism contest will produce street interview videos. These activities aim to enhance youth political engagement and ensure youth interests are represented in political programmes.

€4500

JEF Baden-Württemberg is organising a multi-day seminar trip focused on the “EU Strategy for the Danube Region” (EUSDR). The EUSDR connects EU member states and non-members in central, southeastern Europe, and the Balkans through a framework of international cooperation. Despite its significance, the EUSDR remains widely unknown, even in participating states. Germany is represented in the EUSDR by Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, while other participants are national governments. For Baden-Württemberg, the EUSDR is a crucial European policy tool, allowing for strong foreign policy at a subnational level. However, awareness of the EUSDR is still low. The strategy involves several partner groupings working on different priority areas for the Danube region. Baden-Württemberg partners with Croatia on PA8 “Competitiveness.” 

€2000

JEF Hungary’s project will tackle intersectional barriers and engage rural youth through a variety of activities. These include a March screening of “Freedom on Fire” with a director Q&A, a three-part debate workshop by the Foundation for Democratic Youth, and a series of online debates culminating in an in-person debate in April. In May, a Europe Day bench painting and flash mob will be held, followed by a Europe Day run. In June, a countryside event will focus on European elections, and in October, a roundtable on European Federalism and Treaty Change will be organised.

In 2023, JEF Europe for the first time had the opportunity to allocate 28,000 EUR of grants to its member sections as part of its Next Generation JEF (NGJ) re-granting scheme. The grants support the grassroots of the organisation,  empowering sections to implement tailored actions addressing specific local needs while also addressing intersectional barriers to enhance diversity in JEF Europe’s membership, ensuring better representation of various social groups across the network.

This scheme falls under the “financial support to third parties” budget in the Operating Grant of JEF Europe for 2023 which is funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Commission (Grant Agreement no. 101105191).

Implementation Period: 23rd February 2023 – 30th November 2023

Application Deadline: 23rd April 2023

€5000

JEF Belgium applied for the NGJ re-granting scheme to fund BLAZE – “Building Leaders for an All-Inclusive Zone of Equality.” This project aims to develop and implement a training program focused on addressing intersectional barriers and promoting inclusivity and diversity.  The training program will consist of a series of sessions designed to increase awareness and understanding of intersectional barriers, build skills and knowledge, foster collaboration, lead by example and create leaders to promote inclusiveness. This will be done during a weekend Training Program, where a group of 20-25 persons will be trained by experienced trainers using non-formal education methods.

€5000

JEF Slovenia’s proposal includes a training program that will enhance their event organising and youth engagement skills, driven by our passion for promoting European values and expanding our local and international network. The section plans to hold events surrounding Europe Day, such as a pub quiz, topical discussions, and promoting the section’s opportunities to its members and participation in student events to boost visibility and recruit new NGO members. Additionally, we aim to organise a United in European Values event focusing on intersectional discrimination in Europe, followed by a Eurovision public viewing. Another initiative involves hosting “European Nights” to discuss European topics in a non-formal setting, addressing issues like the anti-LGBT+ law in Hungary or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lastly, a collaborative “European Picnic” with JEF Styria will involve engaging with a local CSO/environmental group, and discussing ecological farming and the EU’s Green Deal, fostering team-building with JEF Styria members.

€5000

JEF Italy’s aim is to fund a maximum of 10 of their local sections or groups of sections, contributing a maximum of 10 initiatives through the NGJ scheme. This will be done through an internal call, aimed to identify local sections capable of presenting well-grounded proposals. The supported events would encompass professional training programs, hackathons, open debates, and initiatives aimed at expanding the network of public entities and civil society organisations involved in shaping the future of Europe leading up to the European Elections in 2024. All activities would therefore be also strategically aligned with the EurHope campaign.

€5000

JEF Finland’s planned action is twofold, aiming to promote diversity and enhance the participation of young people, especially those facing fewer opportunities, while also increasing accessibility through English publications. The first part involves training for the boards of JEF Finland and local sections, with a focus on addressing intersectional barriers such as age, gender, background, and wealth. This comprehensive approach, accommodating around 20 participants, aims to increase accessibility. The second part involves translating materials into English, including the Agenda for the European Parliament Elections brochure and Liittovaltio (The Federal State) publication, thereby increasing awareness of EU rights and values. This language accessibility initiative aims to have a broader impact by making materials available throughout Europe.

€5000

JEF Spain’s proposal for their local section JEF Illes Balears involved two key components. Firstly, a workshop on female leadership and a corresponding social media campaign aimed at raising awareness about this subject. The workshop on Female Leadership will use non-formal education to equip participants with tools and deepen their understanding of the issue. The workshop will guide participants in defining leadership characteristics, examining barriers hindering women’s access to high positions, and collaboratively seeking solutions for achieving gender balance. The social campaign will utilise the hashtag #FemaleLeadershipJEF, featuring a series of posts highlighting the scarcity of women in leadership positions, supported by relevant statistics and facts in the context of European Affairs. The second component would be a formal event, including the publication of “Terraza por Europa” in Palma.

€500

The proposal by JEF Spain, on behalf of JEF Galicia, is to hold an event launching JEF Galicia as a section while also addressing the implications of the European Commission’s restrictions on bottom fishing in the Northeast Atlantic for the fishing industry in Galicia. It aims to bridge the gap between the Galician population and the latest developments in the common fisheries policy, while also introducing JEF Galicia and enhancing the accessibility of the European Union for Galician citizens. The program will feature concise presentations, a panel debate, a group activity, and conclude with a networking cocktail.

€500

JEF Netherlands proposed holding two debates evenings in a hybrid format, possibly taking place in Maastricht and Rotterdam/The Hague. In Maastricht, the debate would target the inclusion of international students in the local democracy ahead of the European Elections in order to provide them with a platform to voice their opinions and concerns about their participation in local democracy, and to engage in a dialogue with local politicians and community leaders to support their inclusion and integration in local decision-making. The aim of the debate in Rotterdam/The Hague is to understand the expectations and concerns of Dutch young people living in rural areas ahead of the European Elections 2024 providing them with a platform to share their opinions and facilitate a dialogue between them and policymakers. The overall aim is to raise awareness about the importance of youth participation in the EU decision-making process and to promote the role of young people in shaping the future of the EU.

€500

JEF Romania applied for funding under NGJ with the aim of holding a seminar on activism and public participation. They planned to hold the seminar in Constanța, since there were no JEFers in this part of the country and it could be a good opportunity for recruitment. A communication campaign on social media,  promoting the event and JEF Romania is also included as part of the section’s application. 

€500 

In line with their section priorities in 2023, JEF Hungary aims to extend its activities to cities outside of Budapest. Through the NGJ scheme, they aim to invite local subject matter experts and young activist participants to connect with their audience, raising crucial questions through local voices. The ultimate goal is to organise at least four forums in major cities of Hungary that serve as educational hubs in the countryside. Through the re-granting scheme, they would like to finance the first two events as a pilot, to see how to make this format of engagement development successful in the future. Their long term goal is to be able to organise these kind of events on a regular yearly basis.

€500

JEF Estonia aims to address the sensitive topic of race and racism in Estonia, particularly in light of the increasing prevalence of ethno-nationalism and nativism in Estonian politics. To do this, they want to hold a day-long seminar set in a natural environment to facilitate open discussions about experiences of racism in Estonia. Following the seminar, they aim to maintain communication with participants to collaboratively compile a comprehensive report detailing experiences of race and racism, along with potential courses of action. The finalised report will be primarily disseminated to Estonian politicians and policymakers to raise awareness and prompt action, as well as shared on social media platforms and within the JEF network to extend its reach and impact.

JEF Estonia dropped out of the scheme in September 2023.