Our Theory of Change

Research across the Euro-Mediterranean region indicates that young people feel disengaged from political, economic, social and cultural opportunities for participation. Their voices are not heard, their views not taken into account and they are distanced from those in authority. There is a lack of opportunity to practice debate and dialogue with peers and with policy makers. The prevailing presentation of young people in the media leads to further alienation as they are often stigmatised and problematised as an unemployed burden or worse still as possible threat to national security and stability, vulnerable to extremist narratives. 

There is a disconnection for many young people who engage with each other through social media but do not know which sources are reliable or which they can trust or depend. Young people feel that they face shared challenges across the Euro-Mediterranean region. 

The Programme seeks to address these issues and problems: 

• Training young people in debate and dialogue will enable them to become young influencers in their communities/ countries.
• Embedding debate and dialogue training into formal and non-formal education will ensure sustainability of young people influencing capacity.
• Providing leadership and media training and opportunities for young people will enable them to influence policy and shape media narrative on youth.
• Providing opportunities for peer engagement will promote an intercultural dialogue and collaborative action across the two shores of the Mediterranean.

As represented below, the programme has 4 inter-related strategic objectives through which the programme is delivered.

Moreover, and based on the Chatham House research (2015), the YMV “Theory Of Change” reaffirms the centrality of debate skills development, while at the same time responding to the finding that “debate is not enough”, by introducing programming objectives on “shaping policy and media narratives”.

Therefore, two other factors have been consolidated through this process:

1.Sustainability and scale, through making debate skills development a core element of formal education programmes and the organisational plans of partner Civil Society Organisations;

2. Strengthening South/North partnerships with youth in recognition of the global interconnectedness of youth activism and interrelated nature of the youth-led debate and advocacy contents.