Workshops about Transnational Solidarity and Resilience, Fundamental Rights, Security

Young Europeans have been facing multiple crises in the past decade—from a pandemic to war at our doorstep and beyond, to forest fires, floods, earthquakes, political shifts toward anti-democratic parties, and more. In these challenging times, how can we foster resilience, defend fundamental rights, build transnational solidarity, and ensure security for our communities across Europe and beyond?

What is the aim of the Workshops?
The aim of the Workshops is to strengthen the democratic competences of students and young adults. It creates spaces for reflection and discussion around questions such as: How can we foster transnational solidarity and build resilience in the face of multiple crises? What innovative approaches can help protect and promote fundamental rights in today’s Europe? How can we rethink security to ensure it serves communities and safeguards democracy?

The workshops were created by young fellows from the Fellowship 2025 by Understanding Europe Networks.

Workshop: Solidarity and Resilience amidst multiple crises
This fellowship is all about creating fresh ideas and tools to help educators tackle the challenges of today’s world. From climate change to political shifts, crises don’t stop at borders—and neither should solidarity. The fellow is diving into the theme of transnational solidarity and resilience, using their unique passions and expertise to design workshops and materials that bring people together and inspire action.

Workshop: Fundamental Rights
How do we bring fundamental rights to life in a way that truly empowers people? This fellowship is all about making the rights protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (CFREU) more accessible and relatable to everyone, especially young people. Despite its importance, many still don’t know how the Charter applies to their lives or how to use it to protect democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. The fellow is diving into these critical issues, using your creativity and expertise to design a workshop that builds awareness and sparks action. The fundamental rights fellowship is part of the FOCUS project which aims to raise awareness of the CFREU and brings together several European civil society organisations in the field of democracy.

Workshop: Security
Security in today’s world is a multifaceted complex topic—it’s about understanding the many angles of security, from international conflicts to human rights, cyber security and beyond. This respective fellow is designing a peer-to-peer introductory workshop that helps young people explore these complex issues and break down how security impacts their lives and communities. The workshop encourages critical thinking and empowers participants to actively engage in public debates on a wide range of European security issues.