The stony path to democracy. Power, peace and politics in Europe and the Arab World The revolutions took place: in Northern Africa, in the Middle East; also in Europe, just longer ago. Did they succeed? Did they, after all, provide the way for a democratic change? Did they help to establish stabile democracies? Did they create the world its protagonist had been dreaming of? And what is left to do? We will find answers to those questions with groups from Germany, Poland and Lithuania, from Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan. No doubt, answers to those questions will be different depending on the country; and depending on the region. European activists worked on different scenes and faced different challenges compared to their counterparts in the Arab world. But all of them struggled for democratic change. In this project we will share our stories of political involvement; we will compare our different approaches strengthening civil society; we will learn from each other, what is important to have an impact on politics; we will encourage each other to continue on this path. Time witnesses and project leaders will motivate us with their experiences; visits to institutions of civil society will help us identify the structures we need to be efficient; simulation games and practical exercises on democracy and tolerance education will support us in taking over responsibility; the international setting will inspire us how to take the next steps in democratic capacity building and empowerment. After all: It is our world that we want to make more livable. This is a train the trainers project targeting at youth leaders and activists of civil society. There will be six from each country plus one team member, because the program will be conducted by an international team. Results will be disseminated in our national and international networks, so others can benefit from our experiences and findings. Governments sign treaties and decide on the large-scale framework. We fill the concepts of democracy and civil society with life on grassroots level. This is our task; this is our vision; this is our message. This is what we will do, inspired and encouraged by each other, in Europe and the Arab world.