Target group of the programm are young people age 16+ and adults/members of community form Ida-Virumaa and Harjumaa country also Civil society youth organisation, experts and community leaders willing to improve their own skills and knowledge on democracy and in other fields and gain practical experience in making real changes and supporting democracy processes, structural dialogue and participation in future European Parliament elections. 

Programm of the project includes:

Five Training sessions:

Five trainings ( in Narva (2) & Tallinn (3) – the main aim is to raise awareness among young voters, to improve young adults’ and middle-aged people’s understanding of the democratic process in our daily lives, the involvement of young people in the electoral process and the role of fair and open elections, thus ensuring fair play in election campaigns and a respectful attitude towards the voter, and to strengthen democracy in Estonia.

• I training on elections and the electoral process (25.01.2024, Tallinn, Hestia Hotel Europa at 11.00 am).
• II training on democracy and basics of political science (30.01.2024 Narva Estonian Gymnasium at 13.00 pm https://narg.ee/ ).
• III traiing on Election watchdogs and good governance (02.02.2024 Narva Estonian State Gymnasium at 11.00, https://nerg.ee/ )
• IV training on Critical Thinking, Politics and Media Analyses (End of March in Tallinn)
• V training on Cooperation and communication: Local and regional elections, national and local authorities (early April 2024 in Tallinn)

Each training session will focus on one of the themes preselected and explanation of cross cutting themes. The aim of the training sessions is to provide constructive knowledge and skills about the concept of democracy, election process, good governance, politics, and provide practical critical thinking approaches on upcoming European Elections and other such skills.  The Second section of the training session is dedicated to gain practical experience by meeting with field experts and authorities who are capable of replying to practical questions of future community leaders and election voters .This is supplemented through strategic dialogue discussions with experts, exercises and group work in order to use the best European and Estonian experience and best practices on how to initiate democratic change (organise media campaigns, to be a election watchdogs, critical analyse promises of politicians etc.) and create a comparative perspective on developing solutions for the future. Each training session follows the same structure but addresses the core topics on the different levels of operation detailed above to ensure comprehensive review of the topic.  

Six Public debates:

The main aim of the public debates is to raise awareness among the target group of the project about key issues affecting their lives, as well as those affecting the country and Europe, to engage in dialogue between politicians and community members, to educate and advocate people’s needs, concerns and to try to find solutions. Each public debate will have one main theme and a number of other debates. We will focus on the key issues of concern to young adults and middle-aged people:

• 1) Public consultation “Speak up to defend and support democracy” 28.12.2023, Toila Spa Hotel, (education policy and inclusion of vulnerable groups).’
• 2) Public Debate “Speak out for the further development of security and democracy in Estonia” 2.02.2024 in Narva (security and democracy issues)
• 3) Public debate “What are the challenges of election campaigning in an Estonia where the media landscape has been invaded?” 22.02.2024 In Tartu (specifics of election campaign and media analyses/ critical thinking)
• 4) Public Debate IV “Speak out on socio-economic stability and unemployment” , 16.02.2024, Tallinn, Hestia Hotel Europas (green transition and socio-economical crises, job creation)
• 5) Public Debate V “Speak out on hate speech and equality” 26.04.2024, Tallinn in Meriton Hotel (hate speech, diversity, equality and human rights)
• 6) Public Debate VI “Young people’s participation in EU elections and their prejudices towards democracy” 15.03.2024 in Paldiski Gymnasium (young people voice on election, Vote 16, social capital and participation) TBC.

In addition to the key issues, we will also stimulate local public debate during the electoral process, seeking answers to questions such as:
– What are the electoral campaign challenges in an Estonia where the media landscape has been taken over?
– What is the legitimacy of election results ratified by national courts, which can be accused of political baton-twirling?
– What are the prospects and means of malicious interference in elections (both foreign and domestic)? What opportunities for reform in Estonia and the EU do these elections offer?
– How will the proposed reforms increase the transparency of political competition in all EU Member States?
– What measures are envisaged to prevent algorithm-driven online campaigning against women and minorities?
– What strategies and methods are planned to monitor social media networks and platforms and their compliance with the new EU rules during the 2024 European elections?

Election Watchdogs

The main objective of the Election Watchdog programme is to openly communicate to the Russian-speaking population the European election campaign for the Parliament in 2024, which should be fair and substantive and draw attention to unethical practices. Election monitors will keep an eye on election campaigns and their compliance with good electoral practice. In the programm we will involve young people, community and opinion leaders, media personalities and sectoral/policy experts to contribute their expertise. Every week, the election watchdogs will make their own summaries of campaign events and content, i.e. the election watchdogs will take a more critical look at politicians’ statements of politicians and parties election promises, with an emphasis on the importance of argumentation and those directly concerning the regions of Harju County, Ida-Viru County and Tartu. Election watchdogs will also share their insights on Europe, national governance and politically relevant issues by sharing their opinions (publishing them on programme webpage, social media and public media platforms), analyses and bringing politics and the public’s attention to politics on a weekly basis. During the project, we plan to involve up to 20 experts who will offer their high-level expertise, comment on the electoral process, write articles, make publication calls.

NB! Involved experts must be politically neutral. Maintaining political neutrality helps to manage potential for conflict in the interest of one side and maintains public confidence in the independet and non infuencial opinion of public fugures or apolitical actors.

information materials

Project team in colloboration with experts will develop an information leaflets / and voting guide in Russian with the main objective to provide necessary useful information and balanced guidance on the electoral process, citizens’ responsibilities. The content of the materials wil include: Why vote? How to learn about politics? How to learn how to vote? How to vote in elections in Estonia and in Europe; Special: voting from the age of 16; Proportional versus majority voting; Voting electronically (e-voting); Voting rights for all in Estonia? Election observation in Estonia and in Europe; Election campaign and election forecasts, and important links and resource tips. Materials will be published online and on social media in Estonian and Russian.

The sustainable quantitative project result will be a webpage (democracy.sscw.ee) with all materials, memos, reports, articles, news, pictures, and people stories so that it will be used later as an excellent practical tool. The website will also be a collaboration platform of the Watchdog team that will provide necessary resources and practical information to report electoral fraud or any other illegal action.

The information and materials gathered from project events will be later analysed and published in a summary toolkit, “Democracy on the Move”, which will provide a fundamental understanding of democracy processes, active participation, decision-making, politics and engagement of diverse communities in community life.

Final Conference “A youth look at democracy and the European elections 2024: afterwords”

Grand Conference will be the final event of the project and act as an official closing event of the project and first informal meeting of created Network and include an interesting discussions on the role young people in the politics (taking into considiration that 16+ will soon possible able to vote on Parliament and EP elections), on the youth and communities in decision making proccess, discover existing challenges, and of course presentation of the project outcomes: Follow up project, Project Statement and the website. Conference is aiming to spread the message of the programm and vision of the need to engage vulnurable groups in active political life and formation of inclusive society.

At the final event of the project, we will bring together up to 150 people to celebrate the results of the programme, discuss the main challenges in strengthening democracy and how the results of the European Parliament 2024 elections will affect Estonia and its people, as well as enhance networking and collaboration opportunities for young adults and involved organisations, and look at future local initiatives and follow-up activities organised by newly-grown youth and community leaders. This will also be a motivational event, so we hope to see the programme continue in the next elections.

Project results:

• Programm will traine more than 550 people and prepare about 20 election watchdog experts.
• We will conduct 5 trainings, 6 public debates, conference, create “Democracy” colloboration network of people/CSOs and provide many information materials on election, democracy, participation and other topics related with programme themes.
• Project website will been create and will include all project materials as sustainable outcome.
•  Young people and invited experts/youth workers will have the skills to  for own rights and interests, to meaningfully participate in democratic society -that will increase their skills and knowledge on how to participate in democratic society.
• Target group representative will have the opportunity to share their ideas and skills with various stakeholders and mentors to community member how to become an active citizen, how to value the democracy and its advantage, how to support open society and fair election. For society aknowledging of this is an essential part of democratic society.
• Training programm will provide the ability to raise community / opinion leaders among young people/ community leader, who will become voting watchdogs (in their communities) and share knowledge and information with friends and colleagues, so it will have an effect of multipliers.
• In partnership with governmental institutions, professional organisations and Youth NGOs we will follow up with participated target groups representatives (individuals, communities and institutions) by continuing supporting them in development of their potential and capacity and providing them necessary advices, support in achievement of own sustainable communities where young people taken as equal partners and finding requested specials/solutions or guidance.
• We will provide an opportunity for young people to get the practical experience and knowledge by working together with decision makers and professional on more concrete projects and including them into furthers projects and inspiring them take responsibility for own future and active roles in society.
• We will spread best practices and positive impact to other members of communities and in partnership with state institutions to grant more access to be competitively capable on labour market, or in education (universities), in local governments’ commissions and creating equal opportunities for participation in all.
• – We will develope skills in individuals that help (target groups) better act as wise digital and sustainable active citizens, also by supporting institutional capacity building and advocating for open society and participatory changes for target groups into more active participation in the election and improving dialogue between European or state politicians and community, that in its turn to build trust between parties to give the opportunity to come together and co-learn, co-create and co-deliver benefits for themselves and their communities by addressing political culture, responsible approach in politic, social action and community development.
• We will empower existing cooperation network of Youth representatives (individuals, community members and institutions) and coordinate policy making on all levels though partnership, mutual support, capacity building, imitating of new initiatives and networking.
• We will enhance social-cohesion between Estonian and mainly Russian speaking communities where an access to civic society activities have increased to all parties where all members of civil society have a contrastive dialogue for achievement of socially wellbeing and sustainable, inclusive society.
• We will Increase motivation of Russian-speaking target group representative and NGOs to participate in the democratic processes by this the opportunities for mutual co-operation has increased at least by 30%.
• Different communities will work together around common agendas, building trust and positive perspectives – the project will involve people of different genders, different nationalities and different economic backgrounds, it will strengthen their capacity, increase knowledge about democratic processes and they will build a trust, positive perspective on issues that support the achievement of the sustainable communities and the importance of accepting the youth perspective.
• Institutions/institutions connect different communities and create social cohesion – young people join an informal network of youth activists that promotes the importance of tolerance, diversity and promoting change that creates social cohesion within communities. Young people and local leaders have more trust in government agencies and civil society organisations working on youth engagement, leadership, gender equality, gender-based violence and women’s empowerment and use in theire work community based approach.
• Young people and educators will gain insights into democracy, rule of law (their rights and obligations), policy-making processes and fair election, civic education and strengthening democracy in their communities.
• Teachers and adult learners will get to know more practical tools and experiences/knowhow for their work in schools, as potentially it will improve young people participation acuity on local and national elections.
• In addition, project target group will discover key documents /strategies and its links with youth, vulnerable target groups, school democracy and legislation – so that the democratic process is dominated by well-reasoned arguments rather than demagogy and rule of law and shared values.

The project “Young People’s Eyes on Democracy and the European Elections 2024” is being implemented in cooperation with the British Council in Estonia under the People To People Cultural Engagement programme to support social cohesion.