The Digitalise Youth (DY) Project: Strengthening Youth Engagement in the Digital Democratic Space
The Digitalise Youth (DY) project is a comprehensive two-year initiative (2025-2026) developed by a robust consortium to strengthen the active and ethical engagement of young people in the digital democratic sphere. This renewal proposal falls under Lot 3, “Strengthening youth engagement in the digital democratic space,” of the broader Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI).
1. Consortium and Leadership
The project is the result of a collective proposal built by a consortium of experienced international and regional organizations, led by the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD).
The consortium members are:
- EPD (lead)
- AfricTivistes
- Code for Africa
- CFI
- World Scout Bureau Africa Regional Office
- Kofi Annan Foundation
CFI, one of the implementing partners, will be particularly involved under the project’s fourth component, working with four key target groups.
2. Core Objectives and Priorities
The Digitalise Youth project is built around two central, interconnected priorities that define the focus of Lot 3:
A. Digital Technology and Capacity of Youth Activists
This priority focuses on equipping young HRDs and democratic activists with the tools and skills necessary to participate effectively in the digital space. Objectives include:
- Strengthening the digital access and skills of young Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) and democratic activists.
- Increasing the skills and capacity of young HRDs and democratic activists for digital advocacy.
B. Increasing the Resilience of Youth to Online Harassment and Mis- and Disinformation
This priority is aimed at mitigating threats and fostering a safer, more inclusive online environment. Objectives include:
- Strengthening the capacity of young HRDs and activists to address challenges and tap into opportunities for an inclusive digital democratic space.
- Providing opportunities for youth to use new platforms and content formats to foster ethical, fact-based, socially conscious content.
- Deepening young people’s understanding of online harassment and mis- and disinformation, including how bots and AI exacerbate these threats.
3. Project Components and Activities
The overall project is structured into five core thematic components which implement the above priorities:
- Digital activism
- Civic Tech
- AI for Good
- Information environment
- Digital Policy and Digital Rights (global)
CFI’s Specific Activities (Component 4)
CFI’s involvement, particularly under the Information environment component, is focused on two main areas: Support for young journalists and content producers and Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for young people in civil society.
I. Support for Young Journalists and Content Producers (in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan) The objective is to build capacity so that their work is ethical and does not contribute to misinformation and hatred, while also raising awareness of digital security and MIL. The goal is to create a new generation of journalists and content producers focused on human rights. Activities include:
- Training Workshops on fundamentals of journalism, misinformation, online verification, and reporting in sensitive contexts.
- Coaching and Support for production, including individual remote coaching after each training course.
- Production Grants (bursaries) for field reporting to give beneficiaries the opportunity to test their skills and produce human rights-oriented content.
II. Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for Young People in Civil Society This focuses on supporting the Federation of Scouts in 10 countries in their digital literacy process. It also involves supporting activists and HRDs in South Sudan and Somalia. Activities include:
- Support for curriculum development on MIL aspects.
- Training of Trainers (ToT) at a regional event.
- Coaching for trainers trained at a distance.
- Follow-up MIL training led by trained trainers in Somalia and South Sudan, targeting a large number of young activists.
4. Target Groups
The project is designed to support a wide range of youth actors essential to the democratic process, with specific support tailored to their needs.
| Target Group | Focus and Special Needs | Support Provided (Responding to Needs) |
| Young human rights defenders and activists | Special focus on women, emerging and informal actors. | Knowledge/solutions for personal, gender, and safety threats; access to legal advice; enhanced collaboration for advocacy. |
| Youth (including minorities, PWDs, girls, refugees/displaced) | Aiming to increase civic engagement and reduce vulnerability to extremism. | Increased civic engagement opportunities; access to digital tools and skills; weakening vulnerability to disinformation and extremism. |
| Youth-focused and youth-led organisations | Including girls’/PWDs’ groups. | Access to funding; improved digitalisation and cross-border operations; decreasing isolation; more advocacy for tailored policy and inclusive engagement. |
| Media and young online content producers | Authors/editors, bloggers, influencers, YouTubers, journalists, creatives acting as watchdogs. | Access to advanced digital tools; improved collaboration with civic actors/HRDs; increased production of fact-checked, human-rights based content; knowledge/solutions for personal safety threats. |
| Diaspora communities | Including exiled media, journalists, CSOs, HRDs, and activists in other African countries. | Protection from digital threats; access to reliable information and local networks; amplification of their claims; financial and technical assistance. |
The Project on CANVAS
Fundamentals of Journalism by Positive Peace Ethiopia
