The Generative AI – Youth Sector Challenges and Impact project officially launched with an inspiring Kick-Off Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, marking the beginning of a two-year journey dedicated to empowering youth organizations and workers to understand and harness Artificial Intelligence for positive social change.
Representatives from the six partner countries — Italy, France, Belgium, Tunisia, Morocco, and Jordan — gathered for three days of collaboration and strategic alignment. The meeting, hosted by EUROMED EVE Belgium, served as both an introduction and a collective commitment to the project’s shared mission: to explore the challenges and opportunities of AI within the youth sector and to equip young people to counter hate speech and misinformation online.
From the very first session, the atmosphere was one of openness, dialogue, and curiosity. Partners shared the realities of how hate speech manifests in their local contexts — from online polarization in Europe to discrimination and social tension across the Mediterranean region. These exchanges set the stage for deep cooperation, grounded in empathy and mutual understanding.
The meeting included sessions on project management, communication strategies, and quality assurance, led by Caleidoscopio Association (Italy) as the project coordinator. Detailed work plans were reviewed for each of the upcoming phases, including the creation of a Collaborative AI Toolkit, a Mobile App, and a Transnational Social Hackathon.
Beyond administrative coordination, participants also took part in interactive brainstorming sessions focused on ethics in AI, the role of youth workers in the digital age, and the importance of non-formal education in strengthening emotional resilience and critical thinking.
The Brussels kick-off symbolized far more than the start of a project — it represented the birth of a community of practice. Each partner brought not only institutional expertise but also a shared belief that technology, when guided by human values, can become a bridge between cultures rather than a source of division.
As the partners concluded the meeting, they left with a unified vision: to make Generative AI a space for learning, reflection, and innovation — where young people and youth workers can together design a digital world grounded in empathy, inclusion, and understanding.
The consortium is comprised of: Caleidoscopio Association – Italy (Coordinator), AVEC – France, EUROMED EVE – Belgium, EUROMED EVE – Tunisia, EUROMED EVE – Morocco, Jordan Youth Innovation Forum (JYIF) – Jordan
