by Anna Sulewska
And what if you would have piece of paper to write a list of wishes to European politicians?
Tomorrow evening all 150 participants will prepare a document for the European politicians. They will try to draw attention to the key challenges of the participation of young people with fewer opportunities in the society. Five working groups will after developing conclusions (which represent ideas, solutions and lines of action) add something from their field to document.
And what would happen if two guys: Jaan Urb from Estonia (on the right) and Erik Vad Braendgraard from Denmark (on the left) would be given a piece of paper to write down their own list of wishes to European politicians?
– I would write for sure about the right to vote after your sixteenth birthday – says Erik. Just this year it is 30 years since Denmark changed the minimum age of voters from 21 to 18. – Thirty years! I wish we all had such a law like Austria does, where since 2007 all sixteen years old can vote.
Jaan would add something about acknowledge from employers of youth experience in non-formal education and voluntary service. – Why should they only look at your school and university marks? – Erik asks. – With non-formal experience you are much more creative, initiative and self-confident.
– I can’t imagine a place where I would learn more about leadership than from international youth projects – says Jaan who is working for the Estonian Youth Council, as a European funding consultant. Besides that he also studies international relations.
Both of them would also call on the EU to devote more attention to youth empowerment in EU policies. This is also a new initiative of the European Youth Forum which you can read more about on: http://www.youthforum.org/declaration.
PHOTO: Thomas Alboth
