With this project the DRA, together with partners from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia, aims to:

• promote cooperation amongst civil societies and community organisations on youth participation, both within and between Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Germany;
• strengthen social participation and applied understanding of democracy of 50,000 children and young people in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia;
• offer young people in the named regions the prospect to shape society, particularly in the form of civic engagement.

The project began on 1 February 2019 and took place until 31 December 2020.

• Training advocates involved in informal youth education from 40 regions of Russia, Ukraine and Georgia as moderators for participatory projects, including participants of the UNICEF setup "Child and Youth Friendly Cities" in Ukraine;
• Implementing participatory projects for children and young people in Ukraine, Russia and Georgia;
• Organising youth elections in Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia ("M18" elections for children and young people under the age of 18.);
• Organising youth forums in Ukraine as platforms for dialogue between young people and political and administrative representatives, including an exchange with experts for the Berlin Youth Forum;
• Developing a multi-language methodological handbook on youth participation (in German, Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian);
• Organising an educational trip to Germany for youth workers from the project’s countries.

The "Mitgestalten!" project builds on the success of the previous project "Mehr bewegen!” (2015-2018), which oversaw youth elections, workshops, educational trips and numerous other events for children and young people as well as those involved in youth work. Held in Ukraine, Georgia and Russia, it strengthened international cooperation in youth work, particularly in participation amongst young people. Three youth forums were also successfully held in Ukraine, each with around 2,000 participants.

The methodological handbook on extracurricular political youth education (in Russian, Ukrainian, Georgian and German), which was produced by the previous project, can be found online, and the project brochure "Wir haben auch etwas zu sagen!” (in German and Ukrainian) is available here.

The project is funded by the Federal Foreign Office, the Berlin Senate Department for Education, Youth and Science, and the German Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband, Landesverband Berlin e.V.