Experiencing the European Youth Event (EYE) from different roles

poslední aktualizace čtvrtek, 26/10/2023

Thousands of people, hundreds of youth organisations from all around Europe, dozens of workshops and hundreds of activities, but what was the real taste of it? Did young people actually get something of the European Youth Event?

Surely, the European Youth Event (EYE) is a great example of how the EU gathers young people across the EU in one place, at a specific period of time. In the following text, we will see how we, as young journalists, experienced the EYE from different roles and perspectives, as panelists, media creators or participants.

Participating in the EYE

Yiannos, Cyprus

As a first impression, I would say that 2 days were not enough! There were many interesting activities and workshops to attend, and the time was enough only to attend my favourite ones. Knowing that I have a huge interest in creating stories using infographics, I tried to attend most of the related sessions. My favourite ones were: a. ‘Open data: Why is it a big thing and what I can do with it’ and b. ‘Climate stories: Narrating the change’. From the first one, l learned more about the various ways I can use open data, and most importantly how open data have served as the basis for a number of successful ongoing projects. Furthermore, I got answers to my questions on where to find more open data sets, as well as what I can do to enhance my knowledge of them. If you want to learn more about open data, enroll in the newsletter of data.europa.eu and do not forget to check their academy where you can find courses and guides about open data.

On the other hand, from the workshop ‘Climate Stories: Narrating the Change’ I heard more about the several techniques that can be used to create a story such as the need of having a protagonist as well as the importance of having a struggle as one of the main components in your videos, especially when it comes to climate stories. Additionally, I received some great digital production tips, mainly related to the importance of decent production equipment (e.g., camera, audio quality, etc.).

Overall, I believe that the EU is diligently striving to align itself with the rapid and transformative changes unfolding in our world across various domains, while also ensuring the fulfilment of the needs of present and future generations. 

© European Parliament, 2023 - EYE 2023, A session from the Hemicycle, ‘Being a Member of the Parliament for a Day’, by European Parliament

     The parliament in Strasbourg was an ideal choice!

Due to its small size, I believe that the city of Strasbourg was the perfect one for an event
like this. You could even commute to the European Parliament solely on your foot if you would like to, enjoying, of course, the picturesque paths and buildings of Strasbourg. What I also liked was the fact that organisers and volunteers were constantly alert to solve any issue that could arise. It is definitely not easy to handle an event of 10 000 people, however, the responsible team was keeping us up to date on whatever was happening, whether this was a change in the programme or an unexpected event.

     EYE Village was a great idea!

I loved the EYE village! It was a fabulous idea as participants of the EYE could go there to relax, have a break, and choose something to eat from the variety of food vans available there. They could also play different types of games such as table football and table tennis. It is needless to say that the super-hot weather was the biggest challenge during those days!

Time for interviews

Maro, Greece

The first day of the EYE 2023 started promisingly in the EYE Village. As part of the media team, my first task in the morning was interviewing aspiring young participants from all over Europe. I was a bit nervous but as a young person myself I was really curious to learn what has brought people from so many different backgrounds and life stories to the same place that day.

     Camera, set, and go.

People were so eager to talk, making my task easier. The questions varied from what brought them there to their opinion on the upcoming elections, but one of my favourite ones was "How would you describe in one word European Youth?". Young people answered: “Dynamic, Powerful, Ambitious, Democracy, Diverse, Great”. I would have to agree. What I experienced interviewing young participants in the EYE and later by meeting and discussing with them in the workshops and in the EYE Village is that - these people already make change, and already stand up for their future and beliefs with empathy and tolerance. The EYE gave them the opportunity to meet and connect to achieve a greater impact. Taking into consideration this, Europe should realise the significant impact young people can bring and them more deeply in decision-making processes.

     My first EYE, My first Panel.

I have never been part of a panel before. I have never participated in the EYE before. This was the time for me to try both. My mission as a panellist was to present a voice from the Youth Voices Platform along with four other young people who presented their chosen voices. The Youth Voices Platform is the first ever voice recording platform of the European Commission, dedicated entirely to young people. You can actually record your voice trying to reach the Commission representatives with your message.

This panel was a presentation of the platform itself but also a live feedback session. It was really interesting that four out of five panellists (including me) talked about voices on mental health and the environment. Young people were basically calling for help through the platform, they were calling the Commission to give the equivalent attention to the importance of mental health.

As the discussion moved on, it was time for the Q&A and the feedback sessions. One person in the crowd raised her hand. She used the platform to express her concerns about the visibility of small organisations’ activities. She explained that she feels like the results of these activities and the efforts of smaller organisations are somehow lost because their dissemination power is not enough. She and her colleagues had tried many ways to promote the work of their organisation and now they were there to push the message further, asking for help and solutions. That was really inspiring and something that I took with me from the panel. She was not afraid to stand bravely for her goal and give spot-on feedback to the ones that created this democratic tool - Because democratic tools like the Youth Voices Platform are created and implemented but it is upon the citizens to use them and test if they actually serve them correctly.

© European Parliament, 2023 -  A Hemicycle without lights By European Parliament

The EYE2023 came to its end but it is just the beginning. Being part of the EYE was a unique and unforgettable experience that gave thousands of young people the opportunity to meet, discuss, connect, and exchange ideas on the future of the EU, planting the seed for new initiatives. The activities offered were amazing, as were the panels. However, due to the practicality of formal events and the need to adhere to a schedule, some discussions remained superficial, which is why the EYE is just the beginning. The most in-depth and impactful conversations and actions take place after the EYE concludes. It is up to each participant to take what the EYE has offered a step further, to truly make a difference.

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Meet the authors

Maro Samara

I am Maro from Greece. I am an incubating physicist and parallelly work in the digital education domain for vulnerable groups and migration. I gained journalistic experience from writing in online student newspapers and pop-culture magazines. I love channelling ideas in several ways and cooperating in multicultural environments to make a sustainable global impact. Reading, debating, arts, languages, volunteering, and sports are places I find comfort and growth at the same time.
 

Yiannos Christoforou 

Hi, I’m Yiannos and I’m from Cyprus. Currently, I’m a communication trainee at the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drugs Addiction.
As someone who loves marketing, I enjoy dealing with data. In my opinion, writing is the form of an act that demonstrates your ability to illustrate data and create meaningful stories. This is what data journalism does, and that’s why it is one of my favourite forms of journalism. I am here to climb out of my comfort zone and enrich my content creation skills.

This article reflects the views of the authors only. The European Commission cannot be held responsible for it.