Horizon 2020 PROMISE and our partner YES Forum joined The European Youth Event 2018! This was the biggest youth engagement event of the year, bringing together thousands of young Europeans. The event was held on 1-2 June at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
YES Forum took part in The European Youth Event 2018 with more than 8.000 young people. Its group contributed to the diversity of the event with 7 different countries represented, almost 40 young people and youth workers from many different backgrounds! YES Forum also held a workshop called “Why so serious? EU politics can be fun!”, discussing alternative ways to promote youth engagement in Europe and promoting the PROMISE project.
Opinion poll at the event
YES Forum used this unique gathering of young Europeans at the biggest youth event of the year as an opportunity to discuss their social and political engagement, and to complement its partners’ research on this matter.
The exchanges with the young participants from the 2018 European Youth Event as well as a survey conducted on site by YES Forum will contribute to the work conducted by PROMISE researchers from the German Research Institute GESIS.
Thanks to this opportunity, YES Forum explored in particular how these EYE young participants are engaged societally and politically; what are the specific issues motivating them to become active, their profile, as well as how they can encourage more young people to get engaged.
Quotes from the survey
Young people from all over Europe shared similar stories at the youth event in Strasbourg. Here are some quotes from the young participants:
“Politics is directed at older generations. They aren’t taken seriously enough/feel powerless”
“In my opinion, [some young people are socially and politically disengaged because] they do not have adequate facilities to be engaged”
“I think the slow reaction from politicians and tendency to repeat the same unfulfilled promises discourage young people from taking actions”
“[Some young people] don’t feel like they have a voice. Young people have all the potential but older generations don’t value their opinion”
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