The FCV participated in the ‘Youth Engagement Summit’, an international forum that took place online on 2 and 3 July dedicated to the challenges for the participation of young people in their societies.

The meeting, held with the support of the EU4Youth program of the European Commission, was attended by more than 400 people, including 270 representatives of non-governmental organizations from the 6 partner countries of the neighbouring region of Eastern Europe. : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and about 150 representatives from other countries (European Union).

In the forum, presentations, dialogues and workshops took place, where leaders of entities listened to representatives of governments, community institutions and experts in the region (about 50), in a meeting that, being virtual, was a challenge important organizational, successfully surpassed by an international team of facilitators consisting of more than 20 people.

The topics covered were the most urgent needs of young people in the region, how to help them participate in social and community initiatives, how to encourage them to be part of decision-making processes, what obstacles need to be overcome for their voices and proposals may exist, be heard and taken into account by the authorities, and so on.

Participating in the forum has allowed us to know first-hand the opinions and concerns of ministers, directors general and secretaries of state in the fields of youth and training / education of no less than 7 countries (Slovenia, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Germany and Moldova), access to new information on programs, policies and strategies of various Community institutions, by Commissioners and Directors-General of Units, such as Mr. Olivér Várhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Accession Process, Ms Katarina Mathernova, Director General of Institutional Construction and Neighbourhood with the East, or Mr Vassilis Maragos, Head of the Unit Responsible for the EU-Armenia Partnership, Azerbaijan and Belarus.

The point of view of the organizations was presented by organizations such as the European Youth Forum or the European Training Foundation, among others.

The meeting allowed us to get a little up to date on what are the community and regional policies that promote the exchange of knowledge and a good neighbourhood, as well as the mechanisms and programs that encourage the participation of young people in society and society. their social entrepreneurship, offering information on practices that allow a fruitful dialogue between young people and political representatives.

The virtual forum, in which the FCV participated at the invitation of the organizers as a result of the long and close collaboration that the FCV maintains, since its inception, with youth non-profit organizations in the countries of the Eastern region of Europe, was one of the most numerous ever made online during the pandemic and, despite the limitations, we must recognize the interest of the presentations and positively assess the brevity of the presentations, in a format that allowed to interact with the speakers, being possible to ask questions, comment and participate in short questionnaires.

Participating in the forum has been useful to reflect on the changes that the current pandemic situation requires us to make within the same entities, in order to work with digital media and to prioritize the participation of groups and young people in adulthood. vulnerability in all processes of social, community and political participation.

For more information about the event, you can send an email at projectes@catalunyavoluntaria.cat