Projects

Welcome to Memory Makers

Memory Makers is an educational initiative funded under the EU CERV programme, dedicated to engaging young people in historical education and remembrance.

Our project aims to empower youth to explore, understand, and share historical narratives in innovative and meaningful ways. Through a programme of ten events over 20 months, we will bring together at least 800 participants to uncover and highlight lesser-known histories, including Holocaust-related narratives affecting LGBTQ+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and Roma communities—stories that are often overlooked in mainstream discourse.

By shedding light on these neglected perspectives, Memory Makers seeks to foster a deeper and more inclusive understanding of the past and its lasting impact on our present.

Memory Makers champions diversity in historical recognition, ensuring that all voices—no matter how marginalized—are acknowledged, valued, and remembered.

Activities During the Project

Youth Symposium on Historical Narratives and Human Rights – Immersive discussions and workshops connecting young people to human rights in historical contexts.

Voices of Tolerance: Youth Forum on Belonging – Explore the role of historical remembrance in fostering social inclusion and empathy.

Webinar Series: Youth Engagement in Combating Hate Speech – Equip youth to recognize and counter online hate by examining historical discrimination.

Digital Frontiers: Youth Strategies for Inclusive Narratives – Train young participants in digital activism and inclusive storytelling.

Past Lessons, Future Insights Conference – Connect Holocaust education with contemporary global issues.

Holocaust Education and Contemporary Context – Dialogue between scholars and youth on underexplored aspects of the Holocaust.

WWII Oral History and Memory Workshop – Learn oral history techniques to document and share WWII stories and Holocaust remembrance projects.

Digital Storytelling Webinar: Preserving WWII Narratives – Use digital tools to creatively and accurately preserve historical narratives.

Social Media for Human Rights Advocacy Workshop – Empower youth to use social media effectively for historical advocacy.

Memory Makers Youth for Historical Remembrance Summit – Celebrate project achievements and youth engagement in historical awareness.

SPHERE+ launches in Brussels: European Action to Counter LGBTIQ+ Hate Speech in Politics and Public Life

Across Europe, hostility toward LGBTIQ+ people is rising. In parliaments, on airwaves and across social media, hate, harassment and targeted attacks are becoming louder and more visible, especially in political and public life. Behind each slur or smear lies a deeper erosion of trust and democracy.

Amid this troubling backdrop, a new European initiative has launched to equip those in politics and civil society with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to recognise, prevent and respond to hate-based language and behaviour.

The people behind the SPHERE+ – Cooperation Against LGBTIQ+ Hate Speech in Political and Public Spheres project met in Brussels on 26 September 2025, marking the start of a coordinated effort to counter anti-LGBTIQ+ hate speech and hate crimes, particularly within political and public institutions, while strengthening collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs) working on LGBTIQ+ rights.

Funded by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, SPHERE+ brings together a unique alliance of human rights, education, research and community actors. Through research, capacity building and institutional cooperation, its goal is to make political and public life across Europe safer, fairer and more human.

Isuf Halimi of the Strasbourg-based European Centre for Human Rights (ECHR), the lead organisation of SPHERE+, explains: “Too often, politicians and public officials, the very people shaping public discourse, lack the tools, confidence or training to challenge hate when it surfaces in their own spheres of influence. When hateful or discriminatory language becomes normalised in political and civil life, it sends a dangerous signal that intolerance is acceptable. Through SPHERE+, we want to change that culture and build the confidence public figures need to speak out against hate.”

The launch meeting in Brussels brought together SPHERE+ partners, each bringing different perspectives, from countries where hostility, misinformation and fear still shape the daily experience of LGBTQI+ people to others where tolerance and equality are more firmly embedded in public life. This mix of realities gives SPHERE+ both urgency and balance, ensuring that its work reflects the full spectrum of experiences across Europe. So who is involved?

The European Centre for Human Rights (ECHR, France) serves as project coordinator, providing strong human rights and policy leadership to ensure that LGBTQI+ equality remains central to political and institutional change. Volonteurope (Belgium), active across Europe, contributes decades of experience in civic participation and democracy promotion, amplifying the voices of LGBTQI+ communities within broader social justice movements. Political Capital (Hungary) brings deep analytical expertise in political communication and disinformation research, helping to expose how anti-LGBTQI+ narratives gain traction in public debate. Deystvie (Bulgaria), a leading LGBTQI+ organisation, offers first-hand experience in legal advocacy, equality campaigning and community mobilisation, giving visibility to lived realities on the ground.   From Ireland, the Roscommon LEADER Partnership strengthens the consortium with its experience in supporting local structures that serve LGBTQI+ people and their families in rural Ireland, while Momentum brings experience in establishing the LGBTQI+ Youth Net and adds expertise in EU project communication. The European E-Learning Institute (EUEI, Denmark) ensures technical excellence in designing accessible, multilingual and interactive digital platforms.

To date, partners have focused on gathering research from over 150 politicians and staff members, alongside insights from more than 50 civil society organisations, to shape the next stages of SPHERE+ implementation. Being a listening forum from the outset is a core principle for SPHERE+, which will be built on dialogue, empathy and shared learning, ensuring that the experiences of those most affected by hate inform every stage of its work. The presence of key supporters and guest speakers gave the launch both political weight and personal resonance, reminding participants why the work of SPHERE+ matters beyond policy and project frameworks.

Marc Angel, MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament, joined the meeting to underline the importance of political leadership in defending equality and human rights. A long-standing advocate for LGBTIQ+ rights and co-chair of the European Parliament’s LGBTIQ Intergroup, Angel has consistently championed inclusion and spoken out against hate and division in public life. Reaffirming that “civil society is our best ally,” he encouraged closer cooperation between activists and policymakers to protect equality and democratic values.

Aleksa Savić, Director of Izadji (Serbia), shared a powerful testimony about the daily realities faced by LGBTIQ+ activists, who often encounter hostility and disinformation, calling for greater European solidarity. Theodor Grassos, Secretary General of EVBB, highlighted the potential of education and training systems to foster empathy and inclusion.

Over the coming months, SPHERE+ partners will continue their research, develop training and digital tools, and engage policymakers, civil society and communities across Europe.

About SPHERE+

SPHERE+ – Cooperation Against LGBTIQ+ Hate Speech in Political and Public Spheres is co-funded by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. The project will deliver research on hate speech and cooperation models between CSOs and politicians; training and microlearning for political and public actors; a digital learning platform open to all; and a European Code of Conduct promoting inclusive, respectful communication in public life. Together, these actions will strengthen democratic resilience and empower leaders to confront hate and foster a more inclusive Europe for all.

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Surviving the Holocaust

Portugal and the Refugees’ Destinies in Europe Project

The Refugees’ Destinies in Europe project brings together a rich tapestry of European memory by highlighting Portugal’s pivotal role as a transit country for thousands of refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, many of whom stayed in cities like Lisbon and Oporto or in designated “fixed residences.” While Portugal is the heart of the initiative, the project resonates across Austria, where Holocaust education is well-established but refugee narratives remain underrepresented; France, where strong institutional support exists but stories of Jewish transit and displacement are often overshadowed by national memory politics; and Poland, where Holocaust education is widespread but fragmented, with heroic narratives dominating and refugee experiences largely absent. By connecting these countries through workshops, exhibitions, and educational resources, the project fosters a transnational dialogue that restores overlooked histories and deepens collective understanding of Europe’s humanitarian legacy during World War II.

Empowering gender-based online Hate Speech by engaging digital media

Combatting online Hate Speech by engaging online media (CHASE) project aims to define and respond to the challenges of tackling online gender-based hate speech in Cyprus, France, Greece and Italy.

Online gender-based hate speech is a global phenomenon taking a number of forms of abuse and violence, which have become a threat to the physical and psychosocial well-being of women and LGBTQI+ people. While there has been some emphasis on monitoring and advocating for better responses to social media-generated hate speech, a greater focus on the role of the media in perpetuating gendered hate speech narratives as well as combatting the effects will be introduced by the project.

The CHASE project recognises the importance of supporting media, in particular online media, to detect, avoid and counter gendered online hate speech. It also recognises that CSOs/NGOs and other human rights defenders can play an additional watchdog role.

The overall objective of the CHASE project is to establish and put into practice in Cyprus, Greece, France and Italy, a comprehensive mechanism which will support online media to successfully identify and respond to situations and instances of online gender-based hate speech.

The main components and key activities are:

  • Research on the existing legal framework and identification of different patterns of online hate speech & response mechanisms for cases of online gender-based hate speech;
  • Development of an innovative ICT tool detecting online gender-based hate speech;

Region/Country: Greece, Cyprus, France, Italy and the wider EU region

Timeframe/dates: 1 March 2024 to 28 February 2026  

Funding programme: CERV-2023-CHAR-LITI-SPEECH

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Healing Digital Wounds

A Psychosocial Support Guide for Youth

The project aims to provide youth and youth workers with psychosocial support, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to navigate the digital world safely, promote mindful media consumption, implement digital detox strategies, and heal from digital wounds.

Project objectives

  1. To empower Youth Workers as Psychosocial Advocates for Digital Well-being.
  2. To foster a culture of empathy and psychosocial emotional support within the digital community, encouraging open dialogue about digital wounds and mental well-being.
  3. To increase understanding among youth and youth workers about various forms of digital wounds from a psychosocial perspective, including cyberbullying, online harassment, and digital abuse.
  4. To create a pocket-sized booklet that incorporates psychosocial elements, offering practical tips, resources, and psychosocial support for both youth and youth workers to navigate the digital world safely and healing digital wounds.
  5. To create an interactive online platform focused on mindful media consumption, digital detox, and digital minimalism, while integrating psychosocial support elements to provide a comprehensive resource hub.
  6. To develop strategies for the project’s long-term sustainability and explore opportunities to expand its reach to reach more youth and youth workers.

Expected results

1. Development and Distribution of “Digital Guardian Pocket Guide” (open source, 3 languages, min.25 pages)
2. Establishment of “MindfulTech Oasis” Online Platform (open source, 3 languages)
3. 2 Days Participatory visit in France to deepen our understanding of effective strategies and approaches for violence prevention and peace promotion
4. Training session in Netherlands to empower youth trainers. (10 participants, 2 days)
5. Dissemination and multiplier events

Partner countries: Netherland, France and Croatia

Navigating Peace in Youth through Adventures & Dialogues

The aim of the project is to empower young individuals with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking abilities necessary to actively contribute to violence prevention and the promotion of peace within their communities.

Project Objectives

  • To create a diverse range of immersive digital adventures(educational tool) that address real-life scenarios related to violence prevention and peace promotion.
  • To arrange pilot training by involving adult educators and trainers in each partner country and propose handbook
    improvements, based on training experience.
  • To design interactive elements within the digital adventures that encourage participants to think critically, make informed decisions, and solve complex challenges related to violence and conflict.
  • To develop Violence Prevention Coaching Cards with thoughtfully crafted prompts to stimulate meaningful conversations among youth about violence, its root causes, and effective preventive measures.
  • To ensure the accessibility and scalability of the project, reaching a diverse group of young people from various backgrounds and communities.
  • To collaborate with schools, community organizations, and youth-focused entities to integrate HarmonyPath into educational and community settings.

Expected results 

  • Interactive Digital Adventures: an engaging online platform where youth can participate in immersive digital adventures focused on violence prevention.
  • Violence Prevention Coaching Cards : a set of thoughtfully crafted prompts will be designed to spark meaningful conversations and guide discussions about violence, its root causes, and effective preventive measures;
  • 2 Days Participatory visit in France to deepen our understanding of effective strategies and approaches for violence prevention and peace promotion. ;
  • Youth workers to integrate ‘HARMONYPATH’ outputs in their daily work.
  • Dissemination and multiplier events. 

Partner Countries: Germany, France and Croatia.

Empowering Youth migrants for business success

Aim: “Linguapreneur” project seeks to address the specific linguistic needs of young migrants by providing them with comprehensive business-related language proficiency training. By doing so, the project aims to empower these individuals to actively participate in the economic activities of their NEW communities, break down linguistic barriers, and foster a stronger sense of integration and entrepreneurship. 

Objectives:

  1. Enhance Business Language Proficiency: Develop and deliver structured training modules in both English and the language of the host country, focusing on critical business communication skills, including writing, speaking, and industry specific vocabulary (Management, Finance and Hospitality and Tourism). 
  2. Facilitate Immersive Learning through a Centralized Platform Create an interactive online training platform to provide our learners and trainers with easy access to training materials, exercises, and immersive learning experiences, ensuring continuous skill development. 
  3. Incorporate Gamified Elements for Engaging Learning Integrate gamification elements, including business language gameboards, within the training platform to enhance participant engagement, reinforce learning, and provide a dynamic and stimulating educational environment.
  4. Empower Participants for Cross-Cultural Business Environments Equip participants with the language skills necessary to confidently navigate diverse business settings, emphasizing negotiation, networking, and presentations in both English and the local language. 
  5. Promote Peer Learning and Community Integration Establish a supportive learning environment that encourages peer collaboration, fostering a sense of community among participants and facilitating their integration into the local business community. 

Main results/outputs:

  • Development of 4 comprehensive training modules with specialized business vocabulary. (online, 3 languages) 
  • Creation of an interactive online training platform with multimedia resources. 
  • Development and integration of business language gameboards. 
  • Conducting 3 workshops and simulations focused on negotiation, networking, and presentations. 
  • Establishing communication channels for participants to collaborate and exchange ideas. 
  • 3 Multiplier events, 20 pax per partner. Languages we are targeting English, Croatian, French and Dutch. 

Partner Countries: France, Spain, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Bulgaria 

Design Thinking for
Social Change

Design For Change aims to train Adult Educators, Social Change Actors, Policy Stakeholders, and other stakeholders involved in social change to use Design Thinking principles as a standard when deciding on priority issues, determining who is affected by community problems and how, determining what solutions are possible and how they affect beneficiaries, developing ideas, and implementing projects.

This method will help to make better use of resources and financing, as well as educate staff, members, and activists in local governments, NGOs, development agencies, and organizations, improving the position of community change makers and civil society to address major community concerns.

Governments, academics, educators, and communities all want to know why things go wrong. According to one view, it is critical to include impacted communities in the creation of solutions, a process known as community engagement. This allows the project to be adjusted to the community’s needs, better guiding the intervention. Brown and Mickelson’s study, Why Some Well-Planned and Community-Based ICTD Interventions Fail, expands on this by looking at how simply incorporating the community in the design of an intervention isn’t enough to ensure success. It claims that mere community interaction does not always allow us to comprehend all the community’s demands.

Social project

The Project Social center is open to the whole population, offering unconditional welcome activities and services to help them live well together. It builds its project around the needs and expectations of its users. It’s a place where generations can meet and exchange ideas, and where family and social ties family and social ties. The center strives to optimize the integration of migrants, who will find and explanations of the codes of French society with a view to social cohesion.

The Social Project groups together all the actions that the social collective wishes to carry out.

It is built around 5 entities:

  1. Youth Group
  2. Women’s discussion group
  3. French language courses
  4. Language exchanges
  5. Support center (social, listening and legal).

Major themes in 2024-2025

  1. Supporting and promoting the participation and integration of vulnerable families.
  2. Develop family involvement in city life.
  3. Support parents in their parental role.
  4. Develop actions with the Youth Group and encourage the desire to take action.
  5. Enable fair access to rights and information through digital tools.
  6. Strengthen access to French language courses for all project groups.

Beyond silence

Main aim: to address the pressing issue of domestic violence among young women by providing them with support, empowerment, and opportunities for personal growth. The project also seeks to equip youth workers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively support and advocate for these young women.

Objectives:

  1. To provide a safe and inclusive environment for young women who have experienced domestic violence to share their stories, express themselves, and heal from their trauma.
  2. To empower young women by fostering self-esteem, self-confidence, and resilience through workshops, mentoring, and creative activities.
  3. To equip youth workers with a comprehensive understanding of domestic violence, including its causes, effects, and available support systems.
  4. To enhance the skills of youth workers in providing appropriate and effective support to young women who have experienced domestic violence.
  5. To develop a toolkit and training materials for youth workers, providing them with practical strategies and resources to support young women in their communities.

Expected results:

  1. Empowerment and improved well-being of young women who have experienced domestic violence.
  2. Enhanced knowledge and skills of youth workers, enabling them to provide more effective support and advocacy for young women.
  3. Increased awareness and understanding of domestic violence among the community, leading to reduced stigma and increased reporting of incidents.

LGBTIQ+ Youth Net

Partners Countries:  France , Ukraine, Ireland, Denmark and Germany.  LGBTIQ YOUTH NET is an action to combat online LGBTIQ+ hate speech by providing a fresh, and innovative YOUTH EDUCATION model. Combining digital and social skills for LGBTIQ youth, non-LGBTIQ youth, youth educators, and policymakers to help combat hate speech towards the LGBTIQ+ community. This will bring inclusion, increase the capacities of youth workers, and innovate their educational programs.

Project Objectives

  • Increase the capacities of youth educators and workers to help combat online hate speech against the LGBTIQ+ community.
  • Conduct desk and field research on challenges and opportunities youth are experiencing within online LGBTIQ+ hate speech.
  • Upskill and empower young people to actively participate in combating online hate speech. Educators will increase their capacities to deliver in-class education and online education.
  • Ensure relevant stakeholders include young people, co-create, consult, and implement plans for combating LGBTIQ+ online hate speech.

 Project Results 

  • 30 Good examples of combating online hate speech, 20+ methods, and 15+ tools identified to produce a toolkit.
  • 10 Good methods of combating LGBTIQ+ hate speech.
  • 6 modules covering important topics on combating online hate speech.
  • International 4-day Training event in France where youth and educators will receive a YOUTHPASS to record skills and competencies acquired.
  • A Seat at the Table for LGBTIQ and non-LGBTIQ youth ensures stakeholders include young people to co-create, consult, and implement plans for combating hate speech.

Project Website:  https://lgbtiqyouthnet.eu

MUFOCOM

As statistics on immigration at the European level reveal men, women and children cross seas, walk long distances and sometimes live in disastrous conditions before arriving in a country that will welcome them. European countries become a “second home” to an increasingly number of immigrants and refugees with a very diverse linguistic, cultural, educational and professional backgrounds.

While this diversity enriches the linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe, it also challenges political decision-makers on the adequate means to assume henceforth their responsibilities, that is to say work to the overall development and well-being of the people they have accepted to welcome to their territory.

Objectives: 

1. Diversify and innovate
2. Preserve generational skills
3. Empower learners
4. Up skilling migrants’ educators

Outputs: 

1. Transnational analysis of integration policies – Professional training and good practices for migrants’ insertion in the labor market
2. Formal and non-formal education  – Multiple approaches for fostering the linguistics skills of adult migrants 
3. Which jobs for migrants? Towards a vocational guidance in relationship with migrants’ needs and the needs of labor market
4. Mentoring To improve learning abilities valuing different pathways
5. Storytelling For empowering and motivating adult migrants: success stories

Project Website: www.mufocom.eu

EMNHS LGBTQI+

WE WORK FOR NO HATE SPEECH LGBTQI YOUTH PEOPLE’S SAFETY, EQUALITY, FREEDOM AND NO DISCRIMINATION

Countries Partner: France, Spain, Ukraine, Luxembourg, Bulgaria 

In today’s digital age, the issue of online hate speech is escalating, posing a significant risk to marginalized groups, including LGBTQI youth. The EMNHS LGBTQI project is committed to tackling this problem head-on.

The project, EMNHS LGBTQI, is actively addressing the alarming surge in online anti-LGBTQI hate speech, a critical issue adversely affecting the mental health and well-being of vulnerable youth. With a staggering 84% of young individuals acknowledging the existence of such hate speech online and a distressing 91% feeling threatened by it, there is an urgent imperative to empower these individuals with the necessary tools to combat this form of discrimination. In the midst of an increasingly digital landscape that has magnified these issues, the project is dedicated to nurturing resilience, advocating for inclusivity, and establishing safer online spaces for youth, particularly those within the LGBTQI community.

The escalating problem of online anti-LGBTQI hate speech poses a formidable challenge to the mental health and overall welfare of at-risk youth. Despite the extensive connectivity and social opportunities facilitated by digital platforms, they also serve as channels for disseminating harmful speech. Educational institutions and youth support programs bear a shared responsibility in arming young people with the skills required to counteract this negativity.

Project Website: www.emnhslgbtqi.eu

No violence

Countries Partners: France, Serbia, Greece, Jordan ,Turkey Greece, Bulgaria and Spain.

Research has estimated that domestic violence results in the loss of a total of 9 million years of productive female life, a greater loss than that caused by all forms of cancer, motor vehicle accidents, war and malaria. Studies show that 3-4 million children between the ages of 3-17 are at risk of exposure to domestic violence each year. Statistics say that 95% of domestic violence cases involve women victims of male partners.

Non Formal and informal method will be used in this training course, Main Working methods :

Diagnostic methods of victims of violence and abuse Behavior analysis, text analysis, drawings, narration with objects, painting and using empathy methods. Drama activity Role-play Empathy Activities Therapy methods (psycho-Drama) Group work, presentations, discussion workshops, interactive activities, theater, individual work, brainstorming, etc.

The main objective of this project is to provide participants with knowledge of how to protect from abuse and violence:
and we aim Equip the participants with methods above mentioned in order recognize abuse and violence victims.

We aim: personal and professional development.
1. Stimulate interaction between participants and youth leaders, providing a space to share experiences, knowledge and learn constructively from each other.
2.  Encourage cross-cutting synergies between participants, organizations and, ultimately, all the actors involved in the project.
3.  To promote the feeling of collective construction of European society.