In these turbulent times, it is more important than ever to bring young leaders together to foster cooperation and innovative thinking. It is with these objectives in mind that more than 50 young European ambassadors participated in the European Young Leaders Forum from April 25 to 27, 2022. The city of Katowice in Poland hosted YEAs from the European Union, countries partners from the East, the Western Balkans and the United Kingdom for roundtables and thematic sessions led by experts in various fields.
The European Young Leaders Forum accompanied the European Economic Congress, so YEAs also had the opportunity to attend the first day of Central Europe’s largest economic event. This year, around 15,000 people participated in the European Economic Congress, which shows its scale and importance. YEA attended the inauguration of the Congress with a speech by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. Later, topics such as “Europe and the world in 2030” and “International youth exchange” were discussed by renowned experts in the field.
“To have the privilegemy participation in the European Economic Congress was one of the highlights”, said Mariam Ketsbaïaa YES from Georgia. “We had the opportunity to listen to experts and policymakers and hear their perspectives on various topics, including Ukraine’s reconstruction plans and strengthening the partnership between the countries. »
Over the course of three fruitful days, the European Young Leaders Forum sought to address a range of pressing issues facing the world and in particular young people. A recurring theme in many sessions was Russia’s war in Ukraine. Loredana Avrama YEA from Moldova, reflects on this subject: “During the Forum, we massively addressed the theme of the war in Ukraine, an international problem that can only be resolved through the active participation of everyone. ». A YES from Belgium, Nicolas Vande Kerckhovealso said: “This forum allowed me to understand the issues of the war in Ukraine from a Polish-Ukrainian point of view. Indeed, these two peoples continued to dialogue during this event in front of an all-hearing and empathetic audience. Ukrainian YES, such as Nadiia Kasianchukwere grateful for keeping this issue at the top of the agenda and mobilizing support at this crucial time: “I greatly appreciated that the main topic discussed at the Forum was related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We attended many conferences, public debates and workshops on the future of Ukraine and Europe, the values and perspectives of the EU. One of my favorite workshops was about famous Ukrainian start-ups in Europe. In addition, we had many informal discussions with participants from all over the world about Ukraine, EU-Ukraine relations and opportunities for young people to help our country resist war.”
Other themes on the agenda of the forum included digital transformation and data protection, technologies and critical thinking, cities of the future, inclusion and diversity, democracies and social participation, environment and various global threats. In addition to receiving valuable insights from experienced professionals, participants also had the opportunity to develop their practical skills. Yulia Vaidaa YEA from Ukraine, particularly appreciated the session “Changemakers – leaders of change in local communities”: “Participating in the session was an incredible experience as we were able to hear about the speakers’ experience with community change and project implementation. We also had the chance to develop a project idea that would solve a pressing problem in society. Additionally, a YES from Azerbaijan, Aytaj Mohsumzadeadded: “I particularly appreciated the speakers who proposed innovative ways to engage young people in civic engagement activities and discussions on many other important issues. Matilde Fabrizioa YEA from Italy, also highlighted the importance of the discussions: “What I liked most about the forum was that it was an opportunity to think about different topics and from different points of view. I particularly liked the small sessions where we could ask questions, debate and express our points of view.
Networking activities and other events such as the Ethnos Ensemble concert and cultural evening allowed YEAs from different countries to make connections, share their views, experiences and simply enjoy the company of each other.
Jala Maharramovaa YEA from Azerbaijan, describes the importance of this: “What I loved most about this event was the fact that it brought together so many different cultures and mindsets that in the end we realized that no matter how different we are , we are stronger together. We put our differences aside and focused on the common things that unite us. We gained not only useful experience, but also friendships and unforgettable moments.
Another YES from Ukraine, Valeryia Efimenkoalso found the networking aspect crucial: “The European Young Leaders Forum has helped me establish many new connections with people from various fields and countries. Networking has incredible value for me because it allows you to get to know new people, explore people’s worldviews, and enable future cooperation.“.
“The event sparked many thoughts about implementing new projects, creating new ideas and engaging in different European projects and activities to fight for a better future. » summary Irina Sebeko, a YES from Latvia. The European Young Leaders Forum played an important role in allowing participants to share their experiences and propose innovative plans. In this way, YEAs from across Europe, the UK, the Western Balkans and Eastern Partner Countries could look back on what they had achieved in the past and hoped to achieve in the future. Reflecting on the work accomplished over these few days, all participants certainly agree that the European Young Leaders Forum was a huge success.