EU4Dialogue: empowering youth from the South Caucasus and Moldova

The EU4Dialogue project held a summer course titled ‘Youth Now: Creating Environments for Understanding’ in June 2024, in Telavi, Georgia. The 10-day course aimed at fostering exchange, joint learning, and networking among young participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova.

Participants delved into the history of peace, human rights, foresight, critical thinking, and assertive communication. They explored social action, dialogue, and communication through viral storytelling, all of which were facilitated via an experiential learning approach that encourages engagement, action and reflection.

Yvonne Gogoll, European Commission Programme Manager, said: “The European Union is committed to promoting dialogue, inspiring and empowering young leaders from diverse backgrounds. The course creates a supportive environment for dialogue and skill development and we look forward to witnessing the impact of their initiatives”.

The programme offered participants cultural experiences with meaningful interactions on how to identify the needs of local communities.

Stephan Malerius, Head of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. in South Caucasus, said: “I enjoyed to interact with the young students and observe how a group forms through social activities. The tools taught during this course will improve students’ skills and enhance their capacity to do positive social action in their communities.”

Furthermore, the participants engaged in how to communicate social action through video storytelling. They learned how to envisage common desirable futures and the necessary steps to move beyond pre-established notions and horizons.

The tools taught during the course will embolden the participants to become proactive members of their societies.

The EU-funded project ‘EU4Dialogue: Supporting Understanding Between Conflict Parties’ is the first component of the broader EU4Dialogue Programme. It aims to facilitate dialogue and enhance understanding across divides by conducting studies, organising events, training, and workshops at various levels and in diverse settings for participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova. Implemented by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V. in partnership with IDIS Viitorul (Republic of Moldova), IDP Women Association “Consent” (Georgia), Institute for Mediation, Counselling, Development (Germany), and Cowater International (Belgium). The project runs until July 2025.

Media inquiries: Anna Moghilda, Key Expert 2, Deputy Team Leader, EU4Dialogue Project, Component 1, E-mail: [email protected] or Mobile: +373 68 982 479.