Lublin has recently hosted one of the prominent events under youth dialogue in the European Union. The EU Youth Conference gathered 300 young people from almost 40 countries, who were working on recommendations on the Youth Policy of the City of Lublin.
During these days, young leaders from all over Europe have been working on the challenges that this generation has to face. They have been developing recommendations for the EU future. They held discussions about safety, education, participation, and European values, following the assumption that their voice matters and influences the formation of the European Union policy.
During the conference, the participants were working in 10 theme groups focusing on crucial aspects of the European Goal of the Youth no. 1 — connecting UE with the Youth. Each group, moderated by experts, was analysing prominent problems as well as developing the solutions. Discussions were about:
– The value of the UE and how young people may strengthen the European identity and unity during the crisis,
– Safety — both physical and mental, as well as the role of the youth in building a resilient community,
– Digital world — challenges connected with misinformation and artificial intelligence and the influence of technology on the young generation,
– The youth participation, i.e., ways to effectively engage young people in decision-making processes at the EU level,
– The youth dialogue — the best practices and case studies from different European countries.
A major involvement of the participants resulted in developing valuable recommendations, which are going to be given to policymakers at the national and European levels. This is a historic moment — the structures responsible for the youth policy are appearing in Poland, which begins a new chapter in activities for the benefit of the youth. The effects of the conference are going to have a long-term impact on the future of the youth policy in the EU.
The event took place as a part of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Translated by Daria Nowak
Proofread by Aleksandra Górecka
