Has the EU banned kebabs? Does the EU want to boycott Italian products? Is there really a European tax on air conditioning?
It seems clear, the answer to all these questions is no. They are all parts of myths and fake news circulating on Twitter, Facebook and many other online newspapers across Europe.
In recent years, we have been spending more and more time on the web. We use it to work, to communicate, to have fun but, above all, to inform ourselves. It is not always easy to identify the true news from the false ones. This facts, together with the growing of anti-European movements are more and more frequent to read fake news about Europe and its institutions.
Based on these points, the MEGA project aims to contrast this phenomenon in the context of youth work, in order to informally reach young people from different social backgrounds.
The aim is to promote critical thinking in young people so they can contribute to overcoming the Europhobic myths and misconceptions circulating about the European Union and strengthen positive attitudes towards it and its fundamental values.
In order to achieve these goals, six organisations from France, Austria, Cyprus, Lithuania, Italy and Germany, working with young people from all over Europe, will cooperate for the next 24 months under the coordination of the German educational centre Bupnet Bildung Und Projekt Netzwerkgmbh
A research conducted in each partner country through social media on Europhobic myths and success stories about the European Union was the first activity carried out within the MEGA project. The results will be made public shortly and the clear and direct language used in will allow the partners to easily reach young European citizens.
Based on this research, youth workers from the different partner countries will be trained in Palermo in May 2021. During the three-day training, educators will learn new MEGA methods in online gamification and non-formal education encouraging young people to reject the false Europhobic myths in circulation, strengthening the trust in the European Union in order to become the ambassadors of the European idea among their peers.
About the project
MEGA is a project funded by the Erasmus + programme, Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices – Strategic Partnerships in the field of youth.
Partners
The project brings together partners from 7 countries:
- BUPNET BILDUNG UND PROJEKT NETZWERKGMBH ( (Germany, coordinator),
- EUROCIRCLE ASSOCIATION (France),
- DIE BERATERUNTERNEHMENSBERATUNGS GESELLSCHAFT MBH (Austria),
- CSI CENTER FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION LTD (Cyprus),
- SOCIALINIU INOVACIJU FONDAS (Lithuania),
- CESIE (Italy)
For further information
Read more about the project.
Contact Giuseppe La Farina, giuseppe.lafarina@cesie.org.
