From 21 to 23 April 2026, Timișoara (Romania) became a meeting place for European professionals from the fields of youth work, education and digitalisation. Also the DIYW-ROAD project had the opportuniyt to contribute to the meeting organised by the CoE-EU Youth Partnership.
Under the title “Supporting young people’s critical thinking in a digital age”, the participants – practitioners, media representatives, digitalisation experts, and representatives of youth organisations and youth centres – explored the role of non-formal youth education and youth work in fostering critical thinking and discussed the challenges of digitalisation. Because digital technologies bring with them both opportunities and risks, the focus was on democratic principles and sharpening our understanding of youth work and political youth education as a socio-political practice aimed at promoting democracy and critical engagement.
In June 2026, the Council of Europe will publish a competence framework for dealing with AI, addressing these aspects.
The European level is particularly crucial if we wish to encourage young people to engage critically with digital policy and digital developments. Nils-Eyk Zimmermann, project manager of DIYW-ROAD:
“Without critical socio-political thinking, concepts of digital literacy remain incomplete today. It is not simply a matter of young people learning to go with the digital flow. We should empower them to find their own way,”