The project will engage citizens in the production of bottom-up bradcasting news on the EU and the Cohesion Policy, to highlight their impact at local level, the opportunities for rural areas and stimulate citizens in monitoring policies and have their say.
The direct involvement of citizens in the production of the contents will stimulate debate, confrontation, awareness and engagement in the policy-making process. In addition, new skills on journalism will be transferred to the target.

Viterbo Province – Lazio – Italy

The Project wants to tackle the challenge of citizens engagement in the policy-making process and policy monitoring.
In particular in wants to intervene on two levels:
1. the lack of civic engagement: creating activities where young people can access reliable and impartial information, be stimulated to debate and exchange point of views on relevant matters, have direct contact with the policy-making process, participate in institutional debates, meet policy-makers and stakeholders, develop new projects.
2. the lack of information on EU and Cohesion Policy among general citizens: creating a bottom-up broadcasting about the EU and its policies, focusing on the impact and results of the funding of local projects and on the opportunities for citizens.

The project has two kind of target:
1. direct target: young people, three groups of 15 each, aged 12-14, 16-18 and 20-25, that will be directly engaged in the production of the broadcasting and webradio programmes. This target is choosen because it has been registered that young people in rural areas is often detached by reliable and updated information about EU policies and because there is a lack of dedicated spaces where they can get engaged in debate and confrontation.
2. indirect target: general public, coming from the local community, that will benefit from the programmes to be informed. This target is non-quantifiable as they will access web radio and broadcast, but we aim to no less than 50.000 people. It answer to the need to highlight the impact of EU policies at local level.

The project will follow five steps:
- Preparatory study and research (Oct-Dec2021)
Activities aimed to inform and prepare the participants on the topics.
Activities for the selection of main topics for the broadcasts.
Expert resources will educate participants on EU institution.
A 5 day study trip in Brussels will take place in Dec 2021 for a group of 10 participants and 2 tutors.
- Planning and production of broadcast programmes (Jan-Feb2022)
Three format will be used:
1. EU News: newscast about EU related news
2. EU Debates: round table discussing selected EU related topics and EU priorities
3. GLocal Dimension: short documentaries about the impact and results of EU funded projects in the Tuscia area.
- Implementation of the broadcasts (Mar-May2022)
Web tv and radio, social networks directs and streaming
-Planning of the second tranche of broadcasts (Jun-Jul2022)
- Implementation of the second tranche (Aug-Oct2022)
- Production of a short-film about the experience (Oct2022).
The methodology used will follow a bottom-up and democratic approach, focused on active participation and non-formal techniques. All the products of the project will be created directly by the participants, that will be guided by expert tutors and mentors and skilled youth workers.
Monitoring and evaluation will be a constant process and will favour self-assessment processes.

The projects aims to achieve the following results:
-Improve young citizens participation in the monitoring and implementation of EU policies, developing skills and motivation to actively contribute to the Future of EU
-Engage young people in debate on topics they aren’t usually involved in or that are mostly felt as distant or non-relevant, with attention to give voice to a plurality of points of view
-Create a new civic space for participation, where young citizens have their voice heard
-Allow young people to meet stakeholders and beneficiaries of EU funding and engage in dialogue and exchange on their opportunities at International and local level
-Create a stable group of young people that could act as catalysts towards their peers to engage them in active citizenship actions.

Project will actively engage community members in getting involved in the monitoring and implementation of policies and in particular the Cohesion Policy, through four phases process:
-Awareness: getting aware of the role of EU in real life and its impact at local level
-Education: getting acquainted with EU functioning, institutions and policy making
-Elaboration: growing a point of view through reliable information and democratic debate
-Communication: making their voice heard and promote information in the wider community.
This process will have impact on the quality of life of the community as:
-Young people will be aware of their role for the future of the society at local and EU level
-The community will have access to reliable and bottom-up information about relevant topics.

The project team is composed by four skilled resourches from Lighthouse Languages:
-Ivonne Peña: cultural mediator and educator, president of the organisation, with multiannual skills in the management of cultural and civic projects for the empowerment of young people;
-Letizia Tessicini; youth worker and trainer, expert in youth engagement and participation, recognised with Youthpass;
-Angelo Ciocchetti: expert in monitoring and management of EU funding, trainer and educator on EU related matters;
-Francesca Recchioni: young volunteer, coordinator of youth projects.
Three resources from TRO:
-Gianni Di Felice: professional journalist, since 1981 collaborates with TRO
-Marco Nicoletti: professional journalist, collaborate with TRO 1990.

Journalist Consuelling: 15.000
Study Trip: 10.000
Communication tools: 2000
Management: 2000
Expert/interpreters: 2000
Youth workers: 3000
Insurance/other costs: 1000
Production of vlogs and promotional videos: 2000
Office expenses/equipment: 500

We would like to have a feedback on the overall idea and approach and we are ready to exchange practices and inspirational insights on existing activities carried out in the past to allow young people to be a bridge between EU and their local communities.