• Educational opportunities – Creating more inclusive learning environments and experiential education programs.

• Social integration – Building stronger, healthier, and more supportive communities for children and young people with migrant experiences.

• Environmental awareness – Encouraging sustainable practices and outdoor education for youth.

Goal: To empower young people in Osijek by providing them with skills, resources, and international connections to launch innovative startups, particularly in tech, agriculture, and sustainability.

Areas in need of improvement:

• Increased focus on innovation, support for entrepreneurship, a greater number of sustainable solutions, and a stronger emphasis on the green agenda.

• Strengthening institutional efforts and ensuring their transparent operation.

• Ensuring safe migration and effective border control.

• The integration of young people into innovative projects, with an increased focus on collaboration between academia, companies, and institutions.

Additionally, there is a need for more green spaces, allowing people to spend time outdoors without relying on restaurants.

Like: clean ups initiatives, afforestation, cleaning rivers banks etc

The program supports cross-border cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian regions affected by the war.

• Zero-carbon urban mobility – Developing a modern and eco-friendly public transport system in Chișinău, promoting alternative transportation, and reducing pollution in the capital.

• Education – Creating equal educational opportunities for all young people, especially those from rural areas, by improving access to different resources.

• Social inclusion – Building stronger communities for teenagers from villages by providing support and integration through extracurricular activities and local initiatives.

• Healthcare – Improving access to medical services for people in rural areas by modernizing healthcare infrastructure and expanding telemedicine services.

This project aims to provide economic support through improved business, healthcare, food and water quality, and education. What the International Happiness Index will enable in Ukraine

Now, because on an EU programme every class in my town is renovated and equipped with a digital whiteboard.

I think this gives a real chance for Romania to get to a better level on edication part, so more schools more education in the next years.

• Promote personal and social development through outdoor activities and structured learning.

• Strengthen intercultural exchange and friendships among young people.

• Encourage environmental awareness and a healthy lifestyle. Sustainable tourisme is also a valuable thing for me.

By working together with educators, social workers, and organizations, we can create a safe, engaging, and inspiring community for young people to grow, learn, and feel empowered.

Partnering with EU countries experienced in post-conflict mental health services would provide valuable expertise. Providing training and certification for veterans to transition into civilian jobs, particularly in sectors where they already have skills.

A large-scale educational and cultural program that combines art, history, and civic engagement to help young people and communities better understand democracy, political systems, and their role in shaping the country’s future.

1. Art as Political Expression

   • Organizing traveling exhibitions, theater performances, and film screenings focused on Romania’s political history, democracy, and civil rights.

   • Encouraging young artists to create works reflecting historical and contemporary political struggles.

2. Civic Education in Schools & Universities

   • A curriculum enhancement program bringing experts (historians, political scientists, activists) into schools and universities to discuss political history and civic responsibility interactively.

   • Student workshops on misinformation, political propaganda, and historical revisionism.

3. Historical Memory & Storytelling

   • Collecting and archiving oral histories from those who lived through key moments (e.g., communism, the 1989 Revolution, EU integration).

   • A platform where people can share family stories related to political and social change.

4. Grassroots & Community Engagement

   • Local hubs in cities and villages where young people can debate political issues through creative means (slam poetry, street theater, murals).

   • Partnerships with NGOs to support civic activism through artistic expression.

5. International Collaboration

   • Partnering with similar initiatives in Poland, Hungary, or the Baltic states to exchange ideas on post-communist memory and democracy-building.

   • Bringing EU support and funding for cultural diplomacy projects.

• Environmental protection and climate resilience – Tackling coastal erosion, marine pollution, and promoting sustainable tourism and green energy initiatives.

• Youth participation and education – Enhancing civic engagement, digital skills, and access to quality education and training for young people.

• Social inclusion and equal opportunities – Supporting vulnerable communities, improving access to healthcare, education, and employment, and reducing regional disparities.

• Cross-border and regional cooperation – Strengthening partnerships with other EU regions around the Black Sea to promote innovation, cultural exchange, and coordinated policy-making.

But there are also risks, especially nowadays, it can be dangerous because of war, or there can be problems with smuggling and a large flow of people, which puts a strain on local resources.

- cleaning up the Southern Bug River,

- developing ecotourism,

- supporting IT and startups,

- creating energy cooperatives,

- preserving historical heritage.

- cleaning up the Southern Bug River,

- developing ecotourism,

- supporting IT and startups,

- creating energy cooperatives,

- preserving historical heritage.

Due to the proximity to the combat zone, many urban

infrastructure facilities have been damaged or need to be renovated. Cooperation

with European partners could help to implement sustainable

solutions in the energy sector, green building and transportation system.

2. Integration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Zaporizhzhia has become a temporary refuge for many IDPs from

the occupied territories. Projects that promote

social cohesion, psychological support, employment, and

access to education are especially needed here.

3. Democratic Governance and Youth Participation

There is a demand to increase the transparency of local authorities and involve

citizens in decision-making processes. Cooperation in the form of trainings,

youth exchanges, and incubators for civic initiatives could make

local politics more open and inclusive.

4. Environmental safety and transition to a green economy

Due to the industrial nature of the region, environmental issues

remain relevant. Cooperation is needed in environmental monitoring

, introduction of eco-technologies, and education.

5. Development of Education and Science

The city has educational institutions and research centers, but they need resources for

modernization, international mobility of students and researchers, and support for civic sciences, including political and political

support for civic sciences, in particular political science, which can

contribute to the development of local democracy.

I think that a project like Interreg "People-to-People", which was implemented on

the EU borders and helped to establish links between communities, could be extremely useful for my city. In the case of

Zaporizhzhia, which is home to many internally displaced persons, and with

security challenges and the need for reconstruction, such a project would be

appropriate for developing local democracy, integrating new

residents, and strengthening civic cohesion.

The experience of cross-border cooperation with European partners in the

“people-to-people” format would help strengthen the capacity of communities to

solve local problems, share practices, and promote

European values in the region.

creating an international eco-hub "Green Zaporizhzhia" - a platform for

cooperation between Ukrainian and European regions in the field of

environmental safety, sustainable energy and public participation in environmental protection

.

The project would include:

● joint research on the state of the environment in industrial cities,

, in particular in Zaporizhzhia

● educational exchanges for young people and environmental activists

● implementation of green initiatives: waste sorting, cleaning

water bodies, creation of city parks, reduction of emissions;

● support local governments in developing environmental

policies together with European partners.

Such a project would contribute not only to improving the environmental situation, but

also to developing environmental awareness and a culture of citizen participation in

decision-making.

cross-border and transnational cooperation are, first of all, the security

situation caused by the full-scale war. Because of this, many

initiatives that could involve foreign partners are postponed or

require special conditions for implementation.

The second major obstacle is the lack of institutional

capacity on the ground - not all communities have experience in international

cooperation or sufficient human resources to write and implement

projects. This complicates the process of applying for funding and

implementing programs such as Interreg.

In addition, there is the problem of language and information barriers: not

all initiatives are translated into Ukrainian, and many residents simply do not

know that they can participate in such programs.

Despite these challenges, I am convinced that Ukraine's gradual integration

into the EU and the active position of civil society will help overcome these

difficulties - especially with the support of European partners.

context. In peacetime, it can be a great advantage: access to

European markets, cultural exchange, mobility, cross-border

cooperation - all of this contributes to regional development, openness of citizens and

the spread of democratic values.

However, in times of war or instability, border areas,

on the contrary, become risk zones, as in the case of the temporarily occupied

territories in eastern and southern Ukraine, including parts of Zaporizhzhia

region. In this case, proximity to the border actually means proximity to the

front line, which means danger, loss of infrastructure, IDP flows, and

constant stress for the population.

Thus, proximity to the border is a potential that can only be

realized if there is security and a stable political

situation. In the future, after the victory, such territories may become

centers of recovery and cooperation with the EU.