On Tuesday, the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation awarded the 2024 European Charlemagne Youth Prize in a ceremony in Aachen.
First prize – “Sisterhood Pathways” from Lithuania
The first prize of €7,500 went to “Sisterhood Pathways” from Lithuania – a multifaceted campaign to raise awareness and combat violence against women in the Baltic Sea region. It uses wall painting, handbooks, workshops, webinars and social media campaigns for community engagement and to provide information about preventing violence against women and support victims.
Second prize – “Think, act and advocate together” (France)
A second prize (€5,000) was awarded to French platform to empower youth “Think, act and advocate together to leave no young people behind”. The project aimed to mobilise European young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. For over two years, the project gathered one hundred young people from over ten European countries who have experienced poverty and exclusion. They met regularly to reflect and discuss the unfair situations they experience daily.
Third prize – Europe magazine (Germany)
A third prize (€2,500) went to the online Europe magazine from Germany, which visualises Europe’s diversity through infographics, maps, and statistics, offering clarity and accessibility, to make it easier to understand Europe. Instead of lengthy texts, the magazine uses visual journalism and easily digestible visuals to cover politics, culture, environment, and society.
Background
The European Charlemagne Youth Prize, jointly awarded by the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation, is open to initiatives by young people aged 16-30 involved in projects that strengthen democracy and support active participation. Since 2008, 5,866 projects have competed for the prize.
Every year, national and European juries select a project from each EU country. 27 national winners were invited to the award ceremony in Aachen on 7 May 2024, where the three EU winners were announced.
