IGNetwork

🎨🕊 Art, inclusion, and human rights: A new monumental mural in Mazzarino!

A large-scale mural has come to life on the walls of the "Madonnuzza" school complex in Mazzarino, Sicily. Painted by the artist Salvo Ligama with the help of our volunteers.
We are proud to celebrate a collaboration between our partners I Girasoli and Svi Asbl - Service Volontaire International, which transformed this public space into a permanent symbol of solidarity!

This project lies in its process. The young migrants hosted in the city through the SAI MSNA (Accommodation and Integration System for Unaccompanied Foreign Minors) project did not just stand by, they worked physically side-by-side with the artist, painting the wall and leaving their own mark.
Jeanne, a talented Belgian volunteer and artist who arrived in Sicily through our network via SVI Belgium, joined them and conducted engaging art workshops with the youth, becoming a true co-protagonist of the final artwork.

The core of this initiative was the active participation of these young people, who were the creators of the work itself, which will carry the message forward over time
The mural depicts the faces of two inspiring international activists:
Monica Malith, a young refugee from South Sudan who took her fight to the UN General Assembly to defend the right to education for displaced youth;
Mariia Sulialina, director of the "Almenda" center in Ukraine and Civil Rights Defender of the Year 2024, honored for her brave work protecting children in war zones.

Intertwined around their portraits are vibrant yellow flowers, the traditional "ciuri di maju" (Flowers of May), deeply connecting this global message of resistance and hope with the local heritage of Mazzarino's festival of Santissimo Crocifisso dell'Olmo.

A special thanks to the Municipality of Mazzarino, Circolo ARCI Le Nuvole (Gela), Human Rights Centre at the University of Padua and the PerugiAssisi Foundation.

European Youth

🎨🎵 Regeneration, culture, and community: The MiFaSol Festival is underway in Sicily!

Right now, the heart of rural Sicily is buzzing with creative energy thanks to the 6th edition of the MiFaSol "Milena Festival Sociale", hosted by .
Thanks to our partner an enthusiastic group of international volunteers is right at the center of the action, experiencing a powerful journey of civic engagement while exploring local traditions and helping defend essential social and cultural spaces.

Participants are working hand-in-hand with the local community and are currently actively involved in:
🔹 Regenerating community spaces: Cleaning, setting up, and improving the Magazzino Culturale and various public areas to make them fully accessible for the festival;
🔹 Logistics and event preparation: Arranging furniture, preparing exhibition zones, and organizing materials ahead of the debates and panels;
🔹 On-site festival management: Providing practical support during talks, workshops, and artistic performances, including welcoming visitors and assisting with technical and hospitality needs;
🔹 Media and storytelling: Capturing high-energy photos and short videos to document and share the festival's unique atmosphere on social media platforms.

The MiFaSol Festival is a brilliant example of how grassroots culture can revitalize inland regions. It serves as an open forum where local actors, artists, associations, and international youth come together to discuss contemporary challenges and showcase territorial excellence.

Strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe through the framework of the CERV Program. By supporting youth-led initiatives in rural communities and fostering spaces for open dialogue, our network actively contributes to social inclusion, democratic participation, and the preservation of shared cultural spaces.

European Youth

🇪🇺 Intercultural dialogue through gastronomy: Connecting university students in Latvia!

We are thrilled to share a wonderful initiative organized by our Latvian partner, Radi Vidi Pats! Led by their talented European Solidarity Corps ( ) volunteer from Spain, Elias, a unique interactive workshop brought together 11 European Language and Culture students and their teacher from the Riga Technical University Liepaja Academy.

The main goal of the event was to foster intercultural learning and practice multilingual communication simultaneously in Spanish, English, and Latvian, while showcasing the incredible opportunities that European youth programmes offer to university students.

To make the learning experience truly immersive, the students were divided into three dynamic groups to test their culinary skills by preparing traditional, mouth-watering Spanish dishes:
🔹 Tortilla de patatas (traditional potato omelette);
🔹 Gazpacho (refreshing cold tomato soup);
🔹 Arroz con leche (sweet rice pudding) and fresh homemade mayonnaise.

While cooking and sharing food, the participants engaged in meaningful conversations about international mobility, breaking cultural barriers, and discovering how European projects can enrich their academic and personal paths.

Strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe through the framework of the CERV Program. By supporting non-formal learning methods, peer-to-peer exchanges, and cultural diversity, our network continues to empower young people and students to build a more open, connected, and inclusive European community.

European Youth

🌍 Sharing journeys, building futures: The Volunteer Weekend with SVI!

In collaboration with our partner Svi Asbl - Service Volontaire International (SVI), we are excited to highlight the impact of the Volunteer Weekend!
This inspiring initiative creates a unique space that brings together former, current, and future volunteers to share their unique experiences, develop new skills, and strengthen connections within our growing community.

Through a series of non-formal workshops, deep discussions, and vibrant intercultural activities, participants, young people and students have the opportunity to reflect on their volunteering journeys, discover new paths for local and international engagement, and continue spreading core community values.

Strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe through the framework of the Program. By investing in peer-to-peer exchanges and fostering a culture of solidarity, our network empowers citizens to become active drivers of positive change, social inclusion, and international cooperation.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers and changemakers who joined us to keep the spirit of global solidarity alive and thriving!

European Youth

🏛 Enhancing quality in youth hosting: National ESC training in Rome!

From May 26th to 28th, 2026, we participated in the national training activity for European Solidarity Corps ( ) organisations, hosted in Rome by the Italian Youth Agency (Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù).
The event provided a vital space to discuss the ESC program, with a specific focus on the evolving role, tasks, and responsibilities of hosting organisations.

Throughout the training, participants engaged in fruitful exchanges regarding:
🔹 Key challenges in managing international volunteers and co-creating practical solutions;
🔹 Ensuring high pedagogical quality, safety, and clear framework responsibilities;
🔹 Networking and sharing best practices among diverse civil society organisations.

Strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe through the framework of the Program. Even when operating within the ESC framework, our network remains fully committed to capacity building and empowering youth organisations to foster safe, inclusive, and high-quality spaces for young people.

A huge thank you to the Italian Youth Agency and all the participating organisations for these highly inspiring and collaborative days!

European Youth Commissione europea – Rappresentanza in Italia European Parliament Parlamento europeo in Italia Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù - AIG Associazione InformaGiovani

AI Challenge Day 2026 in Malmö ✨🤖🌍

What happens when civil society meets tech, and ideas turn into action?
We participated in the AI Challenge Day 2026, organised by Malmö Ideella bringing together 35 participants from tech, civil society, and business for a day filled with workshops, presentations, discussions, food, and new connections.

Our main goal was to create a vibrant space for mutual learning between NGOs and tech learners from the ReDI School of Digital Integration, a non-profit and non-formal school providing migrants and marginalized locals with free and equitable access to digital education. Together, we explored how Artificial Intelligence can support the concrete needs and real-world challenges faced by the civil society sector.

And the results were outstanding:
🔹 Tech students presented comprehensive, real-world AI solutions tailored specifically to NGO challenges, tools that organisations can actively start using today.
🔹 Beyond systems and code, the day sparked vital conversations on technology through the lens of power, culture, ethics, digital inclusion, and the broader role AI plays in shaping our societies.

Strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe through the framework of the Program. By fostering digital inclusion and aligning technological innovation with ethics and human rights, our network ensures that progress serves as a tool for social justice and empowerment. Innovation becomes infinitely stronger when people with different experiences, skills, and perspectives learn and build together!

European Youth

🛑 Let’s talk about positive relationships: our work at the USSM.

We met with young people at the USSM (Social Services Office for Minors) in Palermo to tackle a crucial issue together: preventing and combating gender-based violence and fostering positive relationships. We are well aware that violence is not always visible or physical; it is often hidden in psychological and everyday behaviours that risk being normalised.

To help us in our discussion, we used the ‘Violence Meter’, a practical and accessible tool that helps measure and recognise warning signs within relationships, from the most subtle to the blatantly toxic.

The aim of the meeting was to reflect on the dynamics that develop within romantic relationships and to discuss which ones are geared towards building healthy relationships and which are not. Questioning oneself is the first step towards gaining awareness.

This initiative is part of the activities promoted with USSM to foster inclusion and participation for boys and girls, thanks to European programmes.

Strengthening equality, rights, and well-being through the framework of the Programme. Preventing gender-based violence and ensuring that young people know they have the absolute right to speak up, express themselves, and seek support is central to our network’s dedication to human rights and social justice.

Associazione InformaGiovani Ministero della Giustizia European Youth European Commission

🍕🇮🇹 Exploring Italian culture through play: Our Intercultural Quiz Night!

We at IGNet, in close collaboration with our Croatian partner Udruga Mladih EU , recently organized a vibrant Intercultural Night featuring a lively quiz completely centered on the theme of "Italian Culture."

The event brought together middle and high school students, turning a cultural exchange into a fun, interactive, and educational challenge. Through teamwork and friendly competition, the young participants tested their knowledge and discovered fascinating facts about Italian geography, history, and local traditions.

Strengthening awareness, cultures, and citizen's rights across Europe through the framework of the Program. By creating open spaces for intercultural dialogue and youth engagement, our network continues to build bridges between young Europeans, helping them develop a stronger sense of belonging to the European community.

A huge thanks to our partners and to all the energetic students who made this intercultural night an unforgettable experience of learning and connection!

European Youth

🌍 That’s a wrap! "Climate Chain" youth exchange in Riposto has come to an end.

We have successfully concluded the youth exchange “Climate Chain: empowering young people for environmental sustainability” held by Associazione InformaGiovani in Riposto, close to Catania. It has been an incredible week of non-formal learning, intercultural dialogue, and grassroots environmental activism.

For their final challenge, young people and students designed and presented original social guerrilla campaigns. These creative interventions were developed to challenge traditional narratives around climate change and engage local communities in topics like fast fashion, digital consumption, and climate justice.

Strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe through the framework of the Program. Even within the Erasmus+ framework, our network remains fully committed to providing young leaders with the innovative tools needed to foster a more inclusive, sustainable, and rights-based society.

Thank you to all participants and network members for their energy and inspiring ideas! 🌿✨

European Youth Commissione europea – Rappresentanza in Italia European Parliament Parlamento europeo in Italia
Bildung Nijmegen European Youth Centre Břeclav Bridge To Unity

💰 Combining skills with volunteering: Mariann's masterclass on personal finance!

Mariann, a European Solidarity Corps (ESC) volunteer at Associazione InformaGiovani , successfully combined her passion for solidarity with her background in finance to create a unique personal finance masterclass. At IGNet Network, we believe that active and conscious citizenship also means empowering young people with the capacity to manage and organize their own financial independence, providing them with the concrete tools needed to take control of their future.

The workshop was specifically designed for peers, young people, students navigating life on a budget, whether they are currently on an Erasmus mobility or starting their independent paths. During the masterclass, we explored essential topics for economic autonomy:

🔹 Effective saving strategies and daily budgeting techniques;
🔹 A clear, accessible introduction to the world of ethical and low-risk investments;
🔹 Practical tips to define personal financial goals and monitor them over time.

Mariann led the session by putting her expertise at the service of the community: she holds a degree in Business Administration, served as a board member for her university's Investment Club for three years, and has been actively investing since 2022. The event was further enriched by the support of a local international Erasmus student association, which helped connect the initiative even deeper with the youth community.

Strengthening equality, rights, and active citizenship across Europe through the framework of the Program. Fostering financial literacy and autonomy among the youth is a strategic step toward building a more resilient, equal, and self-reliant society. We are proud to support our volunteers' personal projects, transforming European volunteering into a powerful resource for shared growth!

European Youth Commissione europea – Rappresentanza in Italia European Parliament Parlamento europeo in Italia Agenzia Italiana per la Gioventù - AIG