The initiative ACT consists of advocacy tours around Europe, where the European youth will present their visions to different stakeholders and, at the same time learn about the political context and its complexity. Here we will dive into national and international challenges, discussing how young Europeans can engage in the agenda, securing the European youth’s representation in solution-making on these advocacy tours, we will discuss why and how young people should be listened to and how access to democratic practices should unfold in the coming years. We will discuss how EU legislation and initiatives can secure democratic participation. Visiting relevant stakeholders connects the European youth with the political level and shows them how to take action.
Greece
In the end of September, Nyt Europa together with ten volunteers from ‘Young Europe’ travelled to Athens in Greece. The trip was a combination of an ACT-tour to evaluate and reflect on the activities of our project ‘Young Europe’. The trip was planned together with our Greek partner organization ‘Organization Earth’, a non-profit organization working with climate and environmental rights in Greece.
During the weekend we learned about sustainable living and reconnecting with nature through community-based activities such as urban gardening and collective cooking. We also got to visit the site of the Ancient Agora and Pnyx, which are said to be the birthplace of thinking in terms of democracy and rights.
Democratic Festival 'Folkemødet', Denmark
Participants traveled to the Danish island of Bornholm to participate in the biggest people's meeting of the year in Denmark. The people's meeting is a large democratic festival held every year, and is visited by over 60.000 people counting politicians, civil society organisations, stakeholders and engaged citizens. Participants took part in panel discussions related to youth issues in the EU and visited different talks, workshops and tents during the days and interacted with decision makers, stakeholders and other young people from Denmark and abroad.
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Participants traveled to the Danish island of Bornholm to participate in the biggest people's meeting of the year in Denmark. The people's meeting is a large democratic festival held every year, and is visited by over 60.000 people counting politicians, civil society organisations, stakeholders and engaged citizens.
Participants took part in panel discussions related to youth issues in the EU and visited different talks, workshops and tents during the days and interacted with decision makers, stakeholders and other young people from Denmark and abroad.
Hungary
In collaboration with Friends of the Earth Hungary, we were on a adcovacy tour where we engaged with nature protection, environmental policy and advocacy on national and local level.
We visited the Parliament in Budapest and met with decision makers, met with local governmental actors in Székesfehérvár and visited Sóstó, a Protected Nature area.
The topics of the tour included:
- national forestry regulation
- nature protection vs destructive development projects
- rule of law in environmental policy
- local positive green solution on municipality level
- concrete tools for systemic change
Beyond Growth Conference, Brussels
From the 15th-17th of May, Members of the European Parliament will host a Conference about the future of our economic system. The purpose of the Conference is to bring together politicians and civil society to envision alternative ways to measure and value progress in our societies, thinking beyong GDP growth.
During the 3-day Conference there will be keynote speakers, panel debates and break-out discussions, and you will get to meet and interact with other peers from Europe who are interested in rethinking our current economic models and policies.
Brussels
In December 2022 we were in Brussels to visit the different EU institutions and stakeholders in Brussels, to advocate about issues close to our heart.
Madrid
In November 2022 we visited Madrid where we discussed challenges of the Spanish youth with youth organisations and learned about current political priorities from the Danish Embassy in Spain and the Ministry and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Florence
From November 10th – 13th, ten youth representative were in Firenze, Italy to join along in the European Social Forum 2022, which was held for the 20th time.
Peoples Democracy Festival
Participants from Young Europe Sustainable Democracy Builders travelled to the Danish island of Bornholm to participate in the biggest people's meeting of the year in Denmark. The people's meeting is a large democratic festival held every year, and is visited by over 60.000 people counting politicians, civil society organisations, stakeholders and engaged citizens.
YESBD-participants took part in panel discussions related to youth issues in the EU and visited different events and tents during the days and interacted with decision makers, stakeholders and other young people from Denmark and abroad.
Lisbon
This Advocacy Tour was open for participants of the Academy of Change who wanted to express their views and test their political recommendations in debates with politicians and other decision makers. In collaboration with the Portuguese Platform for Women's Rights, participants took part in different meetings and events. On the 9th of May, Europe Day, participants took part in an event to discuss Gender Equality and Rights in Europe. Furthermore, the exhibition Art of Fundamental Rights, based on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, was exhibited in Lisbon being the center for debates about rights, values and democracy in Europe.
Copenhagen
The conference, Participation, Democracy and Rights in a Digital World, focused on strengthening young people across Europe in discussing and participating in political processes. We invited young people from across Denmark and a smaller group of young people from different European countries to participate in the conference and discuss democracy in a digital world with a variety of high-level political decision-makers.
Brussels Economic Forum
Participants participated in Brussels Economic Forum in Brussels which was marking the European Year of Youth and had a spotlight on youth in the program. Participants listened to the opening speech, and to panel discussions on accelerating the green transition in time of crisis, securing the future for Europe’s Youth with Kira Marie Peter Hansen, macroeconomics, and sustainable economic models.
Brussels 2019
Representatives from ‘Young Europe is Voting’ went to Brussels for the official launch of the ‘Ungdomsøen Manifesto'. Here they presented their demands to politicians and representatives from the European Parliament, the Commission, the Danish representation and lobby organizations. Both Danish members of Parliament and Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, spoke at the official presentation. In Nyt Europa, we are fighting for citizens, and especially young people, to have more say in the debate. The Young Europe representatives were also given the opportunity to present the ‘Ungdomsøen Manifesto' to important decision makers.
Berlin 2019
This is how Anna, from Young Europe, described the demands of the European youth on the climate agenda when she was with Nyt Europa in Berlin in 2019 and spoke to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Anna was subsequently allowed to comment on Ursula von der Leyen's speech at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, on behalf of Nyt Europa.
