On 26 March 2026, members of the Global Action Plan International (GAP-I) network gathered online for a Deep Dive event on Stand Up for Europe! — an Erasmus+ project developing training tools to help young people and educators respond to antidemocratic slogans.
The session brought together 16 active participants from 13 countries: Italy, Kenya, the UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, South Sudan, and more — reflecting the truly global spirit of the GAP-I community.
A format built for doing, not just listening
A Deep Dive event is not a classic webinar. The presenter’s role is kept deliberately short, and the bulk of the session is dedicated to hands-on exercises and group interaction. True to this format, facilitator Barbara Grazzini (InEuropa, Italy) walked participants through three concrete activities drawn directly from the project’s curriculum.
The session opened with a personal reflection exercise, which sparked warm and enthusiastic sharing from many members, including those from Kenya, Ukraine, Hungary and Spain.
A second exercise invited participants to work in breakout rooms and reflect on democracy itself. People discovered how rarely they stop to think about something that is easily taken for granted, and how differently it can be perceived depending on one’s country, generation, and history.
JuanMa from Spain, who remembered living under dictatorship, recalled that “for my generation, Europe was always a hope.” Olena from Ukraine said that peace is her most deeply held value and her biggest dream.
The third activity challenged participants to collectively rank seven democratic values (freedom, security, solidarity, citizenship, justice, equality, human rights) under time pressure, which was followed by laughter, negotiation and genuine surprise.
Why it mattered:
The level of interaction was exceptionally high throughout. Participants noted that the exercises are immediately usable in their own programmes, and that the approach mirrors GAP-I’s own methodology: working on values, motivations and attitudes to enable non-violent dialogue and mutual respect.
As Marjoleine Bakker (GAP Netherlands) put it: “I didn’t only learn new exercises — I felt them. And I got to know our network members a bit better.” Olena from Ukraine added: “It was challenging, but very exciting. A new experience.”
The Stand Up for Europe! materials — including 40 downloadable activities, one theoretical volume, an Exchange and Best Practices Report and digital scenarios on topics from cyberbullying to climate change — are freely available at standup4.eu.
