Project Background
The recent success of populist and nationalist movements in many European countries has challenged supporters of multilateralism in the EU. As we’ve seen in a time of pandemic, climate change, and conflict, failures of coordination and collaboration can cause real harm in the daily life of Europeans. The events of the 2020s have increased global public awareness and debate about the need to protect and promote human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights—all core EU values.
Education is key to the promotion of these values among young people in the EU, but more innovative approaches are necessary to reach young people not only in institutions of formal education, but also through informal activities that allow for dialogue, exchange, self-expression and active participation. Songs for Change is one such innovation. Music has a wide range of benefits and assets when it comes to empowerment, learning, self- and artistic expression, civic engagement, and the promotion and advocacy of ideas and values. Songs for Change gives young people and youth workers an opportunity to learn about EU values through music, express their views on important issues, and become active changemakers by producing Songs for Change and music videos reaching out to peers, community stakeholders, and policymakers.
The focus of the project is on expanding inclusion and equal opportunities for young Europeans with fewer opportunities, equipping them with knowledge, techniques and skills for self-determination and advocacy for their values and futures.
Foregrounded SDGs
Objectives
The Overall Goal of the project is to activate young people to become changemakers and mobilise their communities to become more aware of EU values and to become active citizens and activists using music as a main tool of learning, self- expression and change.
4 Key Dimensions
- EU Values: Support awareness raising of young people about the EU values (Human dignity, Freedom, Democracy, Equality, the Rule of law and Human rights) and the challenges young people face.
- Capacity-building: Develop competences and attitudes, strategies and methodologies in learning through music and in producing songs and videos with a focus on promoting EU values AND develop future-oriented curricula (with a possibility of being used by schools and non-formal learning institutions)
- Music: Use music as a means of promoting ideas to peers, communities and the world in order to bring about change; and as an empowerment tool for young people to become active citizens.
- Advocacy: Influence policies and enable awareness creation and motivation to live up to and act upon the EU values for individuals, communities, institutions and governments at a local, national and EU level.
Project Timeline
