-Context/backgroundThe youth culture today is not easily defined. It changes and adapts as quickly as technology advances. There is a lack of a roots in this adapting generation which often lacks awareness of identity and culture. Many lack a guideline from their parents or a hint as to how in which to tackle the issues facing Europe today: poverty, migration, random violence, unemployment, apathy. How do they interpret these events in light of their own identity or values? Few look to churches or religious leaders for answers or a sense of belonging in secularized, individualistic or post-communistic countries. While they have the abounding information of social media to keep them up-to-date and able-to-interprete every last social cue, relatively few have the skills and experience to tackle intercultural and interreligious issues. Because young people today are facing many challenges that their elders think impossible to overcome, we need the whole community to come together to support and guide youth. There are many kinds of bridges to be built. Not just the youth who are most likely to succeed as they have the grades, the status and the money, but also the young people who face the greater challenges of poverty and unemployment and whose future looks dim. We want them to be given the skills and competences to think openly and critically, to begin building bridges and breaking down walls that exists between nations, religions, and people. Only then can they take on the task of bringing up the future youth generation.-Objectives and methodologyAtlantic Bridge is an interdenominational and cross-cultural youth organization which aims to gather and inspire young people from many different backgrounds and help them make an impact in their local community. We want to bring together and build bridges between youth on the one hand, and between young people and the local community on the other. We want to remind them of the values Europe has been built on: tolerance, brotherly love and religious freedom. Atlantic Bridge is based in the southwest district of the Netherlands, but it is a network of youth and leaders throughout Europe and North America. Our methodology is to create new small teams of youth (Bridgebuilders) focused on building bridges. They are armed with a curriculum to train them in this art and discipline. We begin first by recruiting, training and inspiring local youth leaders from churches, schools and other youth organizations who guide and teach Bridgebuilders the AB curriculum called The Bricks. By first looking inwards and learning more about themselves and their culture and values, they are able to shift the focus to meeting others and becoming aware of assumptions and judgements which they can reflect on and learn from. As our focus is on cooperation and building bridges, we work together with the YMCA, local churches, schools, and the community.-Description of activitesBridgebuilders groups are made up of youth between the ages of 14-18 and have approximately 10-15 members. They last for two years. Year one, they are guided through the first half of the training curriculum and prepare to participate on an exchange project with another Bridgebuilders group. The are hosted or host another group for approx. one week to 10 days and plan and implement the week with the guidance of the leaders. Year two , they complete the second half of the curriculum which focuses on local impact, growth and social inclusion. Then they host of are hosted by the group the met the previous year- completing a bilateral exchange. Thereby, each group has the opportunity to be a host and a guest. Our partner groups are in Stavanger, Norway and Zatec, Czech Republic. The heart of this mission is about love, hope, faith and peace. These are the Christian values that help build a better world. But these values are challenged today with the increase of selfishness, greed, need for control etc. which are often at the heart of the increasing polarization today. Perhaps it is time that we return to the values that have built up Europe to what it is today, a continent in great demand by people from other continents to come to and live in! A Europe of tolerance, individual dignity, mutual respect, equality and peace, values deeply rooted in Christianity. But young people today are losing these values as they lose their connection to their Christian heritage and to their own values. And so we hope that the churches that are the guardians of these values across the last two millennia, will join our effort to build a revitalised positive youth work so needed in our world today. The futureSince young people are and will always be the trendsetters in any kind of new development, we hope that building bridges will become a trend to bind together for the sake of a better future and a better world. It starts in our own local communities. And it will begin with young people.