The annual work plan Democracy Re:Boot – Engage, Defend, Innovate! focuses on strengthening young people’s engagement with democracy in times of growing disinformation, polarisation and anti-democratic tendencies. It responds to young people’s need for orientation, critical thinking and meaningful participation by combining non-formal education, creativity and gamification. The work plan supports young people in understanding democratic systems and their vulnerabilities, reclaiming their role as active democratic actors, and exploring new, playful and accessible ways of civic engagement.

Structured as a progressive learning cycle, the work plan connects analysis, skill-building and creative action through three interconnected international activities. Participants first explore democratic values and current threats, then develop strategies for mobilisation and media literacy, and finally translate their learning into concrete educational tools in the form of democracy games. Throughout the cycle, the work plan promotes reflection, peer learning and practical application, enabling young people to link democratic principles to their everyday realities and local contexts.

By framing democracy as a space for creativity, experimentation and collective responsibility rather than fear or abstraction, the work plan empowers young people across Europe to defend democratic values, counter exclusionary narratives and reimagine civic engagement in inclusive, innovative and joyful ways.