After benefiting from the capacity building trainings within the Digital Democracy Workshop Series and the exchange of the best practices in the mobility in Belgrade and the mobility in Oviedo, the participants of the Youth Digital Democracy Accelerator Programme will step in a new exciting role. From May until October 2025, they will directly engage in youth led advocacy to promote safe and inclusive participation of young people in Albania through research and co-creation of media products.
As part of its role as lead beneficiary of the fourth work package of the Erasmus Plus Project Youth Participation in Digital Democracy: From Digital Skills to Digital Rights of Youth with fewer opportunities, SCiDEV will offer mentorship to 2 youth research groups. May 20th and May 21st marked the begging of our youth research groups, where they gathered in dedicated brainstorming sessions with their respective mentors.
The brainstorming sessions were opened by Jesmina Sengla, Project Coordinator at SCiDEV. During her opening remarks she outlined the main objectives of the WP4 of the project and the anticipated deadlines for the drafts of the policy briefs which will be prepared by the youth research teams with the mentorship of senior experts in the fields of digital rights, digital transformation and youth participation.
Further on, led by their mentors, the youth research groups brainstormed about the specific problems and solutions they would like to pose as part of their policy briefs.
Youth Research Group on enhancing youth participation in digital democracy
During the brainstorming session led by Erjon Curraj, senior digital transformation expert at SCiDEV, the youngsters debated on multiple potential topics for their policy briefs. They expressed keen interest in exploring digital solutions to solve hinderers of youth participation in the digital democracy such as fake news and lack of trust in the secrecy of the voting process. Their next step will be a real exercise of democracy; they will prepare an informed research proposal on the topic of their preference, and they will vote the most tangible research proposal. Stay tuned to learn more about their proposals!
Youth Research Group on addressing cyber bullying
Under the moderation of Orkidea Xhaferaj, digital and policy expert at SCiDEV, the youth research group on addressing cyberbullying brainstormed about the scope of their policy brief focusing on the target group, gender lenses and the current the Albanian legislation against cyber bullying. Following this meeting the youth research group will conduct an analysis of the current situation of the cyber bullying among youth in Albania with a focus on identifying gaps that require intervention for improvement.
Next Steps Ahead
The brainstorming sessions will be followed by intensive collaborations among our youngsters, their mentors and the project partners. The youth research groups will draft policy briefs with tangible solutions for challenges that hinder youth participation in Albania and will at the same time actively participate in the social media campaign designed to disseminate their findings by their other peers within the program.
DISCLAIMER: The Youth Digital Democracy Accelerator Program is part of Youth Participation in Digital Democracy: From Digital Skills to Digital Rights of Youth with Fewer Opportunities (EYDR) project and aims to strengthen the capacities of Albanian and Montenegrin youth to meaningfully engage in digital activism through an approach that balances protection and digital participation.
EYDR is funded by the Erasmus Capacity Building in the Field of Youth of the European Union and is implemented under the leadership of SCiDEV in partnership with UZOR, Beogradski centar za ljudska prava, Asociación Youropia, Centre for Comparative International Studies, Erasmus Student Network in Albania, National Youth Agency in Albania, and SHARE Foundation.
