From the restoration of independence of Lithuania to date there has been no consistent approach to working and cooperating with the young people of national minorities from eastern Lithuania. Youth communities of this region are rather closed and do not get involved in interregional cooperation. With the aim of creating a long-term effective model for working with young people of eastern Lithuania, shaping a uniting instead of a splitting attitude to a state and helping them join the common life of the state, 4 NGOs and 1 public institution have formed a coalition and proposed a pilot programme. Project objectives: 1. Promoting and supporting the dialogue of youth and individuals responsible for decision-making, conducting discussions and practical sessions to strengthen the public spirit and patriotic feelings of national communities, and understanding and fostering the particularities of the regional culture and unique identity. 2. Strengthening the resistance of national communities to external propaganda and slanted history. Target group of the project: Young people from national communities of the 5 districts of eastern Lithuania (Vilnius, Šalčininkai, Trakai, Švenčionys and Visaginas) aged 14–29 (with the majority of them being 14–17-year-olds) who will participate in creative workshops. The ‘core’ of each workshop will comprise 25 young people and 1 leader. Between September 2015 and January 2016, creative workshops will take place in schools in Vilnius, Šalčininkai, Trakai, Švenčionys and Visaginas district municipalities. Two methods will be used alternatively: lectures-discussions and practical sessions. The sessions will be devoted to counterweighting the Russian information policy that is oriented to the promotion of frustration and disillusionment with one’s state and biased presentation of historical facts. These methods encourage young people to analyse information, think critically, express their opinion and try out new ways of self-realisation. Together with people responsible for decision-making (journalists, historians, political scientists etc.) the young people will discuss subjects chosen by themselves about the strengths of a multi-national state, national identity, its preservation etc. In this way they will obtain objective knowledge corresponding to the reality and will realize how important it is to consider the information critically, to find out about different opinions and to be public-spirited. In practical sessions, together with professionals (painters, artistic directors etc.) they will work with selected means of artistic expression, for example, organize photography or art exhibitions, produce performances, write a fairy story etc. These means will allow revealing the oneness, colorful history and culture of their region, tell about people of merit etc. The young people will regularly post messages, photographs and videos from creative workshops on their Facebook accounts. There, they will also hold discussions with those responsible for decision-making and other experts. They will be able to share their impressions, opinions and suggestions. Negotiations regarding the broadcasting of special programmes (in the Lithuanian, Russian and Polish languages) free of charge on LRT radio and television are being held. A special website and a logotype will be created, with a banner being placed in popular Internet portals. A video about the activities of creative workshops will be created and broadcast via the LRT Culture channel. It is expected that local media will write and report about the project free of charge. Presentations of the works created by the young people will take place on the local level. The project will contribute to increasing the civic and political awareness of young people of the eastern Lithuanian region, improve their knowledge about the history of Lithuania and their region, build the ability to critically assess information and resistance to propaganda, and develop the correct use of the Lithuanian language (speaking and writing). They will begin to understand that Lithuania is a state that unites rather than divides various nations, and that it is a good place for all nations to live, leading to young people becoming more involved in the common life of the state. The pilot programme was well received in various public institutions. If it is seen that it has served its purpose, the programme will be continued and have great significance for overall youth policy. In 2015, the project covers the organisation of 23 creative workshops. At the end of January 2016, an assessment of the project will be carried out. Should it emerge that the project was successful and met the expectations of participants, additional financing will be sought for the second stage, when the young people would be able to elaborate on the means of artistic expression they had chosen and present them in their own as well as other districts.