VOICIFY Research Fellowship Programme — MOVIMEN-TOO Project
Are you a young person with lived migration experience in Europe who wants to shape research, not just be the subject of it?
Are you a young person with lived migration experience in Europe who wants to shape research, not just be the subject of it?
VOICIFY envisions a Europe where youth with lived migration experiences (YREMASUD – Young Refugees, Exiled, Migrants, Asylum Seekers, and Undocumented) enjoy full and equal access to rights, opportunities, and decision-making spaces. Not just as symbolic participants, but as co-architects of society. Our work is rooted in community-led knowledge production to drive narrative change. The knowledge we co-create here will be directly transformed into published reports, campaigns, and concrete advocacy material designed to challenge systemic barriers.
These Co-Creation Labs are part of the MOVIMEN-TOO project. This initiative is not just the result of policy advocacy in Brussels; it was born from extensive consultations with YREMASUD-led NGOs, and the relentless grassroots activism of VOICIFY and its founding self-led organisations. Because of these roots, our focus goes beyond the EU bubble. We are taking the frameworks we have collectively fought to build —the Manifesto, the Advocacy Strategy, and the #PartOfEurope Report— and turning them into concrete action at both the local community and European levels.
We know that being asked to share your time and lived experiences can feel extractive, especially when you don’t know what happens with the results. That’s why these labs are built differently. The sessions will be facilitated by two Research Fellows who are themselves YREMASUD, and you will not just be answering questions; you will be a partner in shaping the research itself.
The knowledge we generate together will not just directly feed into VOICIFY’s advocacy. More importantly, it will help us name what we live through, connect individual and local experiences to broader collective realities, and turn that shared understanding into power.
The Three Research Areas
When you apply, you’ll tell us which theme(s) you want to explore. These are starting points, because you are a co-creator, we will develop and adapt the questions together as we go.
- Rethinking EU Integration and Political Power: YREMASUD are often invited to consultations but kept out of real decision-making. This lab explores how we move from tokenized participation to substantive political power — at local, national, and EU levels.
- Migration and Belonging – Changing the Narrative: European media and politicians keep framing migration as a “crisis.” This lab challenges that framing. We explore how our mixed cultures, histories, and transnational identities are a normal and valuable part of Europe, and what creative and political strategies can shift dominant narratives.
- Technology and Migrant Justice: From border surveillance and facial recognition to algorithmic bias in housing and job applications, digital tools increasingly shape our lives. This lab looks at how these systems reproduce inequalities, and how we can use digital activism and community networks to fight back.
What Participation Looks Like
All activities take place completely online. Sessions run from July to December 2026, and the timeline will be built around what works best for the group.
- Commitment: We plan to hold 5 sessions per topic (maximum 2 hours each, based also on the preference of the group), spaced across the months. We know schedules change. You can tell us whether you can join regularly, occasionally, or primarily contribute in your own time.
- Flexibility: We know schedules change. You can tell us whether you can join regularly, occasionally, or primarily contribute in your own time asynchronously via shared documents.
- Formats: You might join live video calls or use creative formats (whatever feels most comfortable), including: Photography, short video, audio and voice notes, digital collages, mapping, creative writing, spoken word, storytelling, or group discussion.
- Tools & Safety: Sessions will primarily use Zoom and Miro (we will provide a short onboarding, so no prior experience is needed). Because live calls are deeply collaborative spaces dealing with sensitive lived experiences, camera use is a requirement from the start for all live sessions. Being able to see one another is essential for building genuine group trust.
- Care: A designated care and safety person will be present in every session. You can step away without explanation at any time.
- Language: Sessions are primarily in English. If you can understand and participate but might need a bit of patience or support, you are still very welcome.
Who We’re Looking For
- You have lived experience of migration from outside the EU (as a first- or second-generation migrant, refugee, asylum-seeker, undocumented person, or member of a diaspora community)
- You are under 35 (with some flexibility)
- You are based anywhere in Europe
- You are committed to challenging dominant narratives on migration through activism, art, research, community work, or simply living it
- No academic qualifications or prior research experience required. Your lived knowledge is the expertise we need.
What You Get
- Credit in published outputs (reports, blog posts, zines, and potentially academic publications) where you consent. Note: Full co-authorship is available and encouraged, but is contingent upon sustained, active contribution throughout the process.
- The right to review all outputs before publication
- A certificate of participation and skills-sharing in participatory research methods
- Your perspective carried directly into EU policy and advocacy spaces
- Choice in how you’re credited (full name, pseudonym, or anonymously)—and you can always change your mind during the process.
How to Apply
Applying takes around 10–15 minutes. There are no right or wrong answers; we want to hear from you in whatever form feels natural.
👉 APPLICATION LINK 📅 Deadline: 02/07/2026
Questions? Need support in another language or format? Reach us at secretarygeneral@voicify-eu.org
