A Malta-led youth project that helped young people overcome ethnic distrust has been given an award by the European Commission, beating intense competition.

"A Conflict, A Solution", was among 40,000 projects in 30 European and Mediterranean countries funded by the European Union's Youth Programme, which supports people aged 15-25 in finding new ways to break down social, cultural and racial barriers through voluntary activities abroad.

Some 150 young people taking part in the "non-formal education" programme gathered in Brussels on Monday for European Youth Week. They discussed issues such as inclusion, xenophobia, youth policy and the future of Europe with MEPs and commission officials. The projects nominated for an award were put on display.

Malta was named winner of the Euro-Med category during the awards ceremony which took place on Wednesday night.

"When I left Malta I had mixed feelings. I knew we had a great project. The theme was one that falls entirely in line with the aims of the youth programme of the EU. However I was not aware of what competition there was," said Cory Greenland of Pulse, the Social Democrat Student Union, which was behind the project.

"When we arrived here I reaffirmed the potential of our project but I was also amazed by the standard of the other projects. In the end we were both surprised and delighted to win this award."

The Maltese project focused on five conflicts: Cyprus, Israel-Palestine, Northern Ireland, the Spain-Basque region and the Spain-Morocco conflict on Perejil.

Tormented young people from both sides of a particular conflict met and told their stories to each other, trying to understand their "enemy's" point of view. Debates about resolving the conflicts were then chaired by someone from a neutral country.

They then expressed their views in an informal atmosphere during leisure time, so that they could reflect further on the issues, deal with their pain, enjoy each other's company - and realise that "on the other side of the fence they are human too".

"I believe that all those involved in the project have learnt that, through cooperation with other organisations, one can enhance dialogue that in the end can lead to a better society for us all. Our project, dealing with peace and conflict, was a case in point. Managing to bring conflict-afflicted countries round the same table is a great achievement for us," said Mr Greenland.

The project members are still in touch through a Yahoo group that they set up, and the kind of topics they now discuss, ranging from employment to pets, reflects how far they have come in overcoming animosities.

The other five winning projects were equally innovative in stimulating intercultural dialogue or social inclusion.

A Danish team won the youth exchanges category by bringing together groups from different cities to discuss the values they found essential for a future city. Belgium's project, in the volunary service category, helped a visually impaired individual get involved in taking care of walking paths and restoring old walls in the "great outdoors".

France won the youth initiatives category with a project that invited non-Europeans to give their opinions on European values and customs through debates, theatre, video, music, cooking and other artistic events. This helped the Europeans in the project better understand how Europe is perceived beyond its borders. And Germany's effort was voted best in the disabilities category after it helped mentally disabled young musicians produce a CD of their own compositions.

In 2001 the European Commission launched a White Paper on Youth which recognised that young people are disillusioned with traditional forms of participation in public life. It proposed to give them the means to express their own ideas, become more active citizens, and make a greater contribution to society.

The Youth Programme is one way in which the Commission is trying to live up to this commitment. €520 million have been committed to the programme between last year and 2006, and 400,000 young people from across Europe and beyond have already taken part in it.

Speaking at a news conference this week in Brussels, Education Commissioner Viviane Reding stressed the importance of youth policy in the Union's development, saying this should not be done by adults for young people, but hand in hand.

But while youth wanted to play a role in the decision-making process, not enough of them formed part of an organisation, through which they could make their voice heard, she added.

She said "open systems" needed to be created through which they could express their opinions and the use of technology promoted for this purpose, so that the best could be made of young people's "innovative approach to life".

While the vision exists, however, is the EU merely paying lip service to it?

Giacomo Filibeck, the President of the European Youth Forum within the Convention on the Future of Europe, said "we feel a certain level of resistance to what we are asking of the EU's institutions".

Young people, he complained, were not considered a primary target from an economic point of view, and had far too little funding compared to other targets.

More was necessary, he said, otherwise a Europe in which the young felt a sense of belonging, partners in its construction, would not materialise.

He noted that it had only been at the last minute that the convention had finally accepted to insert a "little line" in the draft European constitution saying that EU action would aid young people in participating in the democratic life of the Union.

Although not as radical as the forum would have liked, he hailed the addition as giving the young the legitimacy to go ahead with helping direct and implement EU policies.

"Society cannot be built without the young. It would be like building a house without its foundations. We don't want this to happen to the EU," he said.

It is a pity not more of the EU's "adults" were listening to him. Mr Filibeck was speaking during a session billed as "Youth meets the European Parliament". Commissioner Reding was there, but only two or three MEPs went along to hear the views of the young programme participants.