Lasting three years, the Generation Europe network supports the energising of youth in Europe (anyone aged from 14-30), aiming at the creation of active citizens not only in local and national issues, but in a European frame of mind. The initiatives from the ten trilateral partnerships lasting three years (2018- January 2021) covered a broad spectrum of topical and relevant issues that need to be addressed in an electrifying, active and mindset-developing manner.
The youth associations worked together on projects about sustainable future, active citizenship on a municipal level, universal inclusion and accessibility, as well as rediscovering the urban environment of certain spaces.
What stuck out the most, was the realisation and the effort put behind the youth workers and the youngsters behind the projects that constituted the European Action Week conference.In particular, the environmental issue and creating a sustainable environment through collective, one-step-at-a-time efforts made an impressionable impact. Rediscovering the locations we live in, keeping them clean for our use and others, creating enduring connections among them; these were the kernels behind the many ideas presented. Although there was a huge variety of topics, one could see that there was a common destination all the participants were heading to, only by different means and courses.
Four ROOTS & ROUTES groups (ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne, Synergy of Music Theatre, Centro di Creazione e Cultura, Subjective Value Foundation) were presenting their work over the last three years!
This weekend youth conference was major news for youth associations for many reasons. Firstly, it was something we needed, even digitally, to realise the rich panoply the Generation Europe consists of. In times of necessary distancing many forget that we are all in this together – both the Gen. Europe programme and the pandemic.Also, four ROOTS & ROUTES groups (ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne, Synergy of Music Theatre, Centro di Creazione e Cultura, Subjective Value Foundation) were presenting their work– and representing all of us- with their insightful projects that over the course of three years, let to the collaboration of the members of the network
Finally, the European Action Weekend was meant to be a synopsis of what happened over the last three years. But everyone there was announced that the programme will take a five-year extension. So, the
‘What happened so far in the past’ character of the conference became a ‘Here’s what to look forward to the future’, in a very phoenix rise-from-the-ashes manner.
At the end of the day, what should stay with us from the European Action Weekend and Generation Europe! is the fact that we are all taking different steps down the same path. We all want to learn, to change our mindset and we know that this will happen by coming together and taking one step at a time.We all be there in the end, even if it is through a computer screen.
Here is the link to Partnership 6 between ROOTS & ROUTES Cologne, Synergy of Music Theatre, Centro di Creazione e Cultura
And here is the link for the entire EAW!
A text by the RRED Team
#rreditorial
An article by Thanos Kyratzis
