The date carried a powerful symbolic meaning. Europe Day celebrates peace, unity, solidarity, and cooperation among European citizens. For Mine Vaganti NGO, one of the founding member organisations of MV International, the day also represented 17 years of commitment to non-formal education, intercultural dialogue, youth empowerment, and European project development. Bringing these two anniversaries together created the perfect setting to present the Structural Grant and its ambitious vision for the coming year.

The Opening Conference offered participants the opportunity to discover the objectives of the Erasmus+ Structural Grant and to reflect on the role of youth civil society in today’s Europe. In a period marked by rapid digital transformation, environmental challenges, social inequalities, and growing misinformation, the project responds to the need for stronger, more inclusive, and more participatory youth structures. Through this grant, MV International will continue to support young people as active contributors to democratic life, not only as participants in activities, but as co-creators of solutions, campaigns, policy ideas, and community actions. During the conference, MV International presented the main priorities of the programme, which are fully aligned with the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027 and theErasmus+ priorities. The grant will support activities focused on youth participation in democratic life, inclusion and diversity, digital citizenship, environmental sustainability, and capacity building for youth organisations. These priorities reflect the long-standing mission of MV International: to engage, connect, and empower young people, especially those with fewer opportunities.

A central part of the Structural Grant will be the creation of learning and mobility opportunities for young people across the MVI network. Activities will include youth assemblies, participatory workshops, capacity-building programmes, digital campaigns, local laboratories, and international cooperation opportunities. These actions will use non-formal education methods to help young people develop civic competences, critical thinking, leadership skills, media literacy, and confidence in engaging with institutions and communities. Particular attention will be given to democratic participation and the fight against misinformation. One of the key planned actions is a youth-led online campaign focused on promoting democratic engagement, responsible digital citizenship, and critical understanding of information. Young people will be encouraged to become active digital ambassadors, producing youth-friendly content such as videos, podcasts, infographics,and social media materials. In this way, the project will support young people in navigating the digital world with awareness, responsibility, and creativity.