Citizens in Power (CIP) is a Cypriot non-profit civil-society organisation actively engaged with the European Union’s Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the wider EU policy framework on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). CIP contributes to the implementation of ProtectEU, the EU Counter-Terrorism Agenda and the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation, supporting the European Commission’s commitment to evidence-based, community-anchored prevention work. 

Alignment with the EU internal security policy framework 

The Internal Security Fund, established by Regulation (EU) 2021/1149 and managed by DG HOME, supports actions that strengthen information exchange between Member States and competent authorities, deepen cross-border cooperation, and reinforce Member States’ capabilities in the field of internal security. CIP’s portfolio is designed around these three statutory objectives, with a thematic centre of gravity on online radicalisation, the protection of youth from violent extremist content, and the digital-resilience capacity of civil-society organisations. 

CIP’s work aligns specifically with: 

• ProtectEU (2025) — the European Internal Security Strategy and the forthcoming EU Agenda on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism; 
• The Counter-Terrorism Agenda for the EU (2020) and its successor instruments; 
• The Terrorist Content Online Regulation (EU) 2021/784 and the Digital Services Act; 
• The EU Strategies on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life and on Combating Anti-Muslim Hatred, and the Joint Communication “No Place for Hate” (2023). 

Methodological capacity 

CIP delivers ISF-relevant actions through methodologies aligned with the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN), the Civil Society Empowerment Programme (CSEP) evaluation lessons, and the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation. Core capabilities include strategic communication using the GAMMMA+ framework with participatory co-design and pre-testing; youth engagement frameworks aligned with the RAN YOUNG platform and the EU Knowledge Hub mentoring programme; Local Multi-Stakeholder Committee infrastructure; ethics-compliance systems for partner due diligence, content moderation and AI safeguards consistent with the EU AI Act; and proportionate monitoring and evaluation frameworks combining validated quantitative instruments with qualitative and independent external evaluation. 

Coherence across EU programmes 

CIP’s ISF-relevant work is methodologically coherent with parallel engagement under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme on equality, fundamental rights and democratic participation, and with Horizon Europe Cluster 2 activities on democracy, governance and social cohesion. This multi-instrument engagement enables CIP to contribute simultaneously to the equality logic of DG JUST and the internal security logic of DG HOME, in line with the Commission’s integrated “No Place for Hate” agenda. 

RITE — affiliated entity for AI, e-learning and STEAM capacity 

CIP’s technical delivery capacity is reinforced through the Research Institute for Technological Evolution (RITE), Cyprus, OID E10266563, which participates as an affiliated entity under Article 9 of the General Model Grant Agreement. RITE contributes AI, NLP, e-learning and STEAM expertise to digital-threat-intelligence and capacity-building activities, operating under CIP’s budget line and reporting governance. 

Selected previous engagement 

Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs department initiate projects with relevance to internal security, P/CVE, civic resilience, anti-discrimination, youth empowerment, and community engagement.  

Working with CIP 

CIP welcomes contact from civil-society organisations, research centres, faith and community leaders, Member State authorities and EU institutions interested in collaboration on future Internal Security Fund and DG HOME calls in the fields of P/CVE, radicalisation prevention, community resilience, and the protection of children and youth from violent extremist content online.