Desk review findings on the level of awareness, gaps in knowledge and barriers to civic participation among young people in Italy

This desk review report (D1.1) has been conducted building on the analysis at the proposal stage by IRC Italy and GF on the level of awareness, gaps in knowledge and barriers to participation amongst young people from diverse backgrounds in civic democratic life and decision-making processes in Italy and Europe. The present national-level review serves as a foundational analysis of youth engagement in Italy concerning EU institutions, policies, and democratic processes. It includes a scan of the EU policies available and any existing solidarity mechanisms in the EU related to the three themes selected by young people in WP2.  By systematically mapping existing knowledge, participation levels, and the barriers encountered by young people, including Third Country Nationals, this desk review establishes the groundwork for the subsequent phases of ParticipACTION. The findings presented herein will be supplemented by primary data gathered from Focus Group Discussions and Surveys (D1.3) and findings from the national roundtables conducted in WP3 and will result in the National Level Assessment reports (D3.1).