The DECIDE project focuses on strengthening democratic participation among EU citizens through activities centered on media literacy, critical thinking, and youth engagement.

The main objective is to support democratic and civic participation within the EU through a series of activities such as webinars, public forums, conferences, workshops, and youth initiatives. The project seeks to raise awareness of the challenges of discerning factual information in the post-truth era, increase citizen engagement in discussions on EU policy priorities, educate young people with the knowledge and tools for critical participation in elections, establish networks of future voters and journalists, and develop practical solutions for promoting media literacy and combating disinformation.

The target groups of the project are:

– Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Their Representatives: These groups often struggle to find coordinated, scalable, and effective methods to combat disinformation and promote media literacy within their communities. They frequently face limited resources and a lack of expertise in digital media, media literacy, and critical thinking. The project will involve 4 partner CSOs and over 50 CSO representatives in various activities, such as the Fact-Checking Ambassador Program and the Media Literacy Hackathon.

– Young People – This group is increasingly vulnerable to online disinformation, which affects their ability to make informed decisions, especially in democratic processes such as elections. They also feel disempowered in influencing policies. The project will involve 265 young people in discussions with decision-makers, youth voter initiatives, conferences, and forums.

– Decision-Makers and Experts – In the EU’s democratic framework, these experts are key to translating citizens’ needs into policies. They face challenges in shaping policies in a rapidly evolving digital landscape where disinformation influences genuine opinions and citizen demands, potentially leading to misaligned policies and eroded trust in EU democratic processes. The project will include 40 decision-makers and experts in discussions, forums, and conferences with citizens.

– Journalists and Media Professionals – In the era of “clickbait” journalism, media professionals directly shape public opinion and struggle to maintain credibility and trust while discerning and combating the spread of misleading information. Twenty-five journalists will be trained through a digital journalists workshop and involved in the Media Literacy Hackathon.

– Citizens – Due to a lack of comprehensive media literacy skills, citizens are vulnerable to disinformation, which can lead to polarized views, a breakdown of trust in institutions, and hinder genuine democratic participation. It is expected that 1,500 citizens will participate in discussions on the DECIDE platform, with additional awareness-raising activities reaching another 20,000 citizens.

Long-Term Expected Impacts of the DECIDE Project. The project aims to increase the ability of EU citizens—especially young people—to critically assess information and actively participate in democratic processes. Furthermore, it seeks to strengthen the capacities of journalists and civil society organizations to effectively combat disinformation. The project will also work on improving cooperation and the exchange of best practices among various stakeholders in the fields of media literacy and civic engagement. Finally, by gathering opinions and proposals from citizens through various activities, the project aims to contribute to shaping EU policies in a way that better reflects the needs and expectations of European citizens.