Young People in Cascais Take the First Step from Conflict to Participation

In May 2026, the Portuguese partners of the MovingON project, Aproximar and Cascais Municipality, delivered the first session of the training programme “Caring for Crime and Violence Prevention in my Neighbourhood”, engaging 14 young people from Cascais in a reflection on community safety, well-being, and active citizenship.

Through interactive activities and group discussions, participants explored the strengths and challenges of their local communities, identifying places that foster a sense of belonging as well as areas that could benefit from positive change. They shared their perceptions of safety, reflected on factors influencing quality of life, and proposed ideas to make their neighbourhoods more inclusive and welcoming.

The session is part of MovingON’s broader mission to empower justice-involved and at-risk youth to become active contributors to their communities and to strengthen their participation in democratic life.

As the project progresses, local activities will continue with the implementation of the “EU Training Toolbox to Engage and Train Justice-Involved and At-Risk Youth on European Core Values”, combined with the Youth Goals Toolbox. These upcoming training sessions will support participants in exploring European values, strengthening civic competences, and connecting local community challenges with wider European priorities and opportunities for participation.

For those interested in learning more about the methodology behind the activities, the complete “Caring for Crime and Violence Prevention in my Neighbourhood” Training Package is available in the project’s Resources section:

Stay tuned for more updates as MovingON partners across Europe continue supporting young people in shaping safer, stronger, and more participatory communities.