The outcome of the latest European Elections has just confirmed the vast gap that exists between the European decision-makers and the citizens. More than two-thirds of voters between 18 and 24 did not vote in the 2009 European elections. Nowadays, it is apparent that:
- We are facing a democratic deficit at National and EU level as young people have lost their trust in the existing political and democratic systems and procedures;
- There is no real understanding from the youth side regarding the crucial matters that are daily decided at an EU level;
- There is a high recognition from the Commission of the EU concerning the importance of bringing young people into decision making processes whether in the political, social or economic arena.
- Current and future European and National youth policies in Europe will face severe challenges and will need to address true needs of both young people and societies in general.
OurSpace is based on the idea that the active involvement of young people in the process of socio-political decision-making plays a very important role in our societies. Therefore, OurSpace, aims to contribute towards bringing the EU closer to the youth by improving their role within the democratic system of the EC through the use of ICT. In this context, OurSpace will try to combine three critical dimensions namely,
- The thematic interest and lack of information of young people
- The ICT usage
- The fundamental readiness to participate
in order to identify the key parameters that will create the basis for strategic political communication with young people. In this aspect, the project aims to create a unique online collaboration space designed to actively engage young European citizens in the moulding of their future society.