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1. Intercultural awareness

2. Young people's rights

3. Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

    

Intercultural awareness

Coordinated by the Youth Institute (INJUVE), youth exchanges with Erasmus+  facilitate interactions among young individuals aged 13 to 30 from participating countries. Projects encompass preparation, mobility activities, and follow-up phases, aiming to enhance intercultural understanding.

The ongoing Rossinyol (Intercultural youth mentoring programme in Spain) initiative pairs university students with adolescents from diverse cultural backgrounds in areas with higher social exclusion rates. The mentoring relationships foster social cohesion and intercultural awareness. ​

The long-standing Intercultural Community Intervention (ICI) Project, launched by the "la Caixa" Foundation in 2010, operates in 36 areas across Spain. It addresses ethnocultural diversity by fostering interaction, coexistence, and social cohesion among local communities.

Various Erasmus+ projects in the field of youth, led by Spanish organizations, prioritise “bridging intercultural, intergenerational and social divide” promoting intercultural understanding, coexistence and inclusive community-building among young people. In recent calls, 25 projects (2025), 31 projects (2024) and 48 projects (2023) were funded under this priority. Examples of these projects, considered as good practices, include:

• VOICES 4 INCLUSION (2023, KA152, ES/DE/IT/FR): a music‑based youth exchange that strengthens multicultural coexistence, promotes European identity and fosters inclusion by addressing racism and discrimination through creative expression.
• Celebrate the Diversity (2023, KA152, ES/AT/MK/BG/TR/RO): a youth exchange tackling discrimination against Roma young people, promoting intercultural dialogue and strengthening respect for diversity through collaborative learning and community activities.

Young people's rights

The Spanish Youth Council (CJE) organises dialogues and campaigns on rights/democracy, especially related to youth participation & anti‑discrimination. 

European Youth Dialogue – Spain engages young people across all Autonomous Communities to shape policy on inclusive societies, rights and participation, coordinated nationally with INJUVE and CJE.

Spain‑led Erasmus+ youth projects prioritise human rights and the rule of law, developing human‑rights education, rule‑of‑law awareness and rights‑based inclusion for young people; recent calls funded 7 projects (2025), 16 projects (2024) and 12 projects (2023) in these topics. For example: 

• Derechos en diálogo (2024, KA152, ES/IT/PT): empowers young people—especially those with disabilities—to understand and exercise their rights and promotes the inclusion of marginalised youth.
• DragTivism Jr (2023, KA152, ES/EL/IT/SK/IE): uses creative activism to defend LGBTI+ rights and counters discrimination through peer learning on human rights.
• Citizen Kalo (2023, KA152, multi‑country): strengthens Roma youth participation in society by combining human‑rights education with cultural expression to challenge prejudice.

Key initiatives to safeguard democracy and prevent radicalisation leading to violent extremism

National Counter-Terrorism Strategy (Plan Estratégico para la Lucha Contra el Terrorismo en España)

In 2019, Spain launched a new phase of counter-radicalization with the introduction of a National Counter-Terrorism Strategy. This strategy reflects advancements in counter-terrorism and counter-radicalization efforts. It distinguishes young people as one of the principal groups likely to be recruited and radicalized. In this sense, Spain is at the forefront of the implementation of the measures contained in the 2178 Resolution of the United Nations Security Council.

Islamic Religious Education Curricula

On September 16, 2022, the Spanish Secretary of State for Education issued a resolution publishing the curricula for Islamic religious education across various educational stages, including Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), and Baccalaureate (Bachillerato). The aim was to provide Muslim students with structured Islamic religious education, fostering understanding and integration within the educational system.

Erasmus+ projects

Various Erasmus+ projects in the field of youth, led by Spanish organizations, have prioritised the prevention of radicalization of young people in Europe and the promotion of democratic resilience among young people. Recent calls funded 2 projects (2025), 4 projects (2024 – €121,864) and 11 projects (2023 – €537,352.50) under this priority. For instance:

• Democra‑SI: narratives, media and action for Democracy (2024, KA153, ES/PS/NL/JO/IT/EE/DE/PT/TR/EL/FR/LT): an international seminar for youth workers focused on democratic practices, critical media analysis and preventing radicalisation through informed participation.
• Speak Up! Youth Challenging Hate (2025, KA152, ES/IT/LV/FR): a youth exchange that equips young people with tools to recognise and counter hate speech, strengthens media literacy and promotes coexistence to prevent radicalisation.