Dear Readers,
As summer draws to a close and the new academic year approaches, the ECIT team is gearing up for an ambitious season ahead. August has been an exceptionally productive month for us, as we closed the holiday season with our 2026 Summer School, where we brought together young advocates, civil society partners, researchers, and policymakers to debate the future of European citizenship.
As we prepare to launch our All On Board ECI, we are also creating fresh, creative ways to resource and scale this movement. This October, we will host our very first Together Through Art charitable art fair, connecting local creators, youth leaders, and the broader community in support of the campaign.
Alongside these preparations, we continue to champion cross-border voting rights. In this edition, we break down key lessons from Czechia’s landmark postal voting reform and invite you to add your voice (or your personal story) to our formal legal action against voter disenfranchisement.
Read on to catch up on our latest work and see how you can get involved!
Looking Back and Ahead: ECIT Summer School 2026
On 31 August, the ECIT Foundation hosted its annual Summer School in Brussels. The event brought together academics, EU practitioners, civil society representatives, and young changemakers for a day of collaborative workshops and policy debates on free movement and democratic rights.
The afternoon event was structured around three sessions: The first panel explored European civic education, with Chiara Piccolo (Head of European Affairs, Learning for Well-being Foundation) and Olivia Lori Iglesias (EU Content Creator & Senior Communications Officer, European Youth Forum). The discussion highlighted the importance of starting civic education from an early age and ensuring that everyone has the knowledge and tools to understand and exercise their rights as EU citizens.
The second panel focused on mobility programmes and skills recognition, with Thérésa Elhage (Communications and Advocacy Manager, All Digital) and Anneline Vandeput (Project Manager, ESN Belgium). The conversation explored how young Europeans can be supported to move, learn and grow across borders, while ensuring that the skills and experiences they acquire through mobility are recognised and portable throughout Europe.
The afternoon concluded with a workshop dedicated to our European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) and the strategy behind the All On Board campaign, providing participants with an opportunity to reflect on how young people can become more actively involved in shaping Europe’s future.
The day concluded with a high-level closing plenary at TheMerode, moderated by Suzana Carp (Co-Founder, ECIT) and joined by Isabella Lenarduzzi (Founder, JUMP) and Michael McLoughlin (Head of Advocacy and Communications, National Youth Council of Ireland). Looking at the future of education in Europe, the discussion also reflected on the history and legacy of Erasmus and its founding father, Domenico Lenarduzzi. The speakers emphasised the importance of both formal and informal learning in enabling European youth to flourish, while recognising that important challenges remain.
Above all, the Summer School was a reminder of the importance of community and participation. Democracy and European values cannot be taken for granted. Dignity, equality and freedom are at the heart of the European project and already shape many of the rights and opportunities EU citizens benefit from every day. The challenge is to make these rights better understood, more accessible and meaningful, while fostering a stronger sense of European belonging.
A huge thank you to everyone who participated and shared their insights! A full summary report highlighting the key recommendations from our plenary sessions will be published on our website shortly. In the meantime, check out the opening speech by ECIT Founder, Tony Venables HERE.
Exciting Event Ahead: Together Through Art Charitable Art Fair; Call for Artisans, Vendors & Sponsors
Building a successful youth-led movement is an ambitious project that requires resources, and we believe art can play a meaningful role in helping such initiatives flourish. On October 3rd, ECIT is organising its first Charitable Art Fair to support the growth of our youth-led movement for a stronger and more inclusive European citizenship.
Together Through Art will be an inclusive, non-profit community festival and fundraiser, bringing together local creators, young people and neighbours for a vibrant afternoon of live music, a charity art auction, a charity raffle, and artisan and maker stalls.
Calling on artists, artisans, and vendors!
Whether you would like to reserve a vendor table or donate an artwork to our charity auction, we would love to hear from you. We fully appreciate that donating an artwork is a generous gesture, but we believe there is a meaningful connection between the creative community and young initiative working to strengthen European citizenship.
Know just the perfect spot?
We are still scouting venues and looking for partnerships. If you know of a suitable space in Brussels, or have a connection with a venue that could host a community event and fundraiser, we would be very grateful to hear from you.
Looking to level-up your business visibility?
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to gain valuable visibility among EU professionals, policy influencers, and dynamic youth networks in Brussels, while directly supporting grassroots civic engagement. We are looking for sponsors, to help us power our movement and making the art fair a success. Different sponsorship packages and perks are available and we would be happy to chat!
Interested in donating artwork, becoming a vendor, recommend a venue or become a sponsor? Get in touch with our team at info@ecit-foundation.eu!
Analysis: What the EU Can Learn from Czechia’s Postal Voting Experiment
When it comes to democratic inclusion, the mechanics of how people vote are just as important as the legal right itself. For decades, Czech citizens living abroad faced a daunting barrier during national elections: the requirement to vote in person at an embassy or consulate.
That changed with the landmark passage of Act No. 268/2024 Coll., allowing mobile Czech citizens to vote by mail for the first time during the October 2025 general elections. The data from this trial offers a powerful lesson for the rest of the EU: when you give citizens accessible ways to participate, voter turnout rises.
Discover how postal voting can serve as a blueprint for European electoral reform HERE.
Take Action: Stand Against Voter Disenfranchisement
We are continuing to build pressure on European institutions to eliminate cross-border voting barriers once and for all. Here is how you can help strengthen our legal case:
- Share Our Complaint Letter: Read our provisional complaint letter targeting these discriminatory voting barriers and see how we are holding the Commission accountable. Access the complaint letter HERE.
- Share Your Experience: Have you faced bureaucratic nightmares or lost your right to vote while living in another EU country? Real personal testimonies are our strongest legal evidence. Fill Out Our Short Questionnaire HERE.
Help Us Power the Movement for Equal Rights Across Europe!
As you know, at ECIT, we rarely ask our community for financial support. However, bringing an ambitious, cross-border ECI to life (collecting signatures in every corner of the EU and making our voices impossible to ignore) takes more than just passion and (wo)manpower.
By donating to our cause, you aren’t just making a financial contribution. You are directly supporting local initiatives, powering our campaign materials, and empowering youth leaders on the ground. Whether you give €10 or €100, every euro goes directly toward building a stronger, youth-led push for equality.
Here is what your support can make possible:
- €20 covers monthly access to digital tools for our Youth Task Forces, to keep campaign teams connected and organized online across the EU.
- €50 funds essential campaign materials for local youth coordinators to collect signatures in their communities.
- €100 provides a micro-grant to a youth group to organise a local event, workshop, or community campaign action
- €250+ helps sponsor national launch events with young changemakers driving ECI outreach.
If you believe in a fairer, more inclusive, and truly democratic Europe, please consider donating to our campaign HERE.
Together, we can make sure every citizen’s voice is heard. Thank you for being part of this journey with us!