Europe is portrayed by a set of challenges – unemployment, poverty and social exclusion, terrorism, the mass influx of refugees and ecological construction that has face to move forward. For these reasons, over the last years, the EU has paid increased attention to a new and progressive vision of combating inequalities that stems from sustainable development. In 2015, all EU member states and other countries in the United Nations have adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, while in 2018, the first Report for Sustainable Equality (2019-2024) was published. In successfully dealing with these crises, Europe needs to endorse a different approach to European Governance that draws upon sustainable development and equality. Ultimate victory is the proof that Europe may empower critical voting among youth that will allow for better decision-making across the EU.
The first objective of this project is to empower youth to act as agents of change for building a Europe of sustainable development and equality by enhancing their critical-voting literacy that includes:
(a) media and news literacy;
(b) socio-emotional literacy and
(c) social-justice literacy.
To do so, this project draws upon the strategies of critical literacy and experiential learning, by using new technologies, and innovative methodologies, such as collaborative role play and simulations, problem-based learning, critical-incidents analysis, and virtual communities of learning and practice.
Another important objective of this project is to promote youth’s and teachers’ training to enhance their competences in using such methodologies so as to meet the first objective.
The campaign ran counter to the general perception often conveyed in misinformation campaigns and rash statements on the media and in social media that migrants not coming from war torn areas of Africa are economic migrants making the decision to embark on a dangerous journey in a frivolous manner. The Real Picture ensured that the general public in the EU is made aware that other causes such as extreme poverty, persecution, famine and manipulation also push people out of their countries.
The social media campaign addressed youths in Nigeria on the dangers of illegal migration routes to Europe that are not always a guarantee of reaching destination and then again reaching Europe does not mean an easy wealthy life from then on. This aimed to reduce the susceptibility of youths in Nigeria to mental manipulation on this subject. Nigeria was chosen as a typical example of a country not presently a war zone but still the point of departure of Sub-Saharan migrants to Europe.
