Apply now to the Y7 and Y20 Summits 2020, taking place in the USA and Saudi Arabia, respectively! All information is available at younglead.eu/activities/y7-y20-summits!

Deadline January 24!!

Join Young European Leadership’s (YEL) delegation at the European Youth Event (EYE) 2018, taking place on June 1-2, 2018 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg! If you are between 18 and 30 years old, apply now to have the unique opportunity to be a part of YEL’s delegation and join 8,000 young Europeans debating Europe’s future. Topics of the EYE 2018 will cover a wide range of issues from the digital revolution, equality, security and the environment, to the future of the European project. You will have the opportunity to explore these issues in a wide range of activities such as interactive debates, workshops and artistic performances.

The event is organized by the European Parliament. Application Deadline is Wednesday, November 1st, 2017, 23:59 Brussels time. More details are available at younglead.eu/activities/eye.

YEL is delighted to be accepting applications for the second YEL delegation to the MiSK Global Forum – Meeting the Challenge of Change, taking place November 15-16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Airfare, accommodation, and other local conference costs are fully covered. Rolling admission, final deadline 24 September, 2017, 14:00h / 2:00 PM Brussels time (CEST). Insights and application at younglead.eu/misk.

The Forum will feature over 2,000 attendees between the ages of 18 and 35 from a wide range of backgrounds and focuses on a variety of multidimensional formats, culture and technology for young Saudis and Arab youth to network and engage with the brightest minds in the world.

On 13-14 June 2017, YEL’s President Tillmann Heidelk represented the organisation in the 8th Forum of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. He was one of the panelists in the session “Connecting the voice of youth for a sustainable future of the Baltic Sea region”.

According to the organisers, the Council of the Baltic Sea States, one of the key aspects for connecting the region is to address questions of education for Sustainable Development and active youth participation.

During the opening session, German Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel underscored power of the Baltic Region for the European peace project. Former President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari carried on by stating that the well-being and success of the Baltic Region is tied to the well-being and success of EU, despite the uniqueness of the Baltic Sea Region.

The panel “Connecting the voice of youth for a sustainable future of the Baltic Sea region” was co-organised by the Council of Baltic Sea States and the Baltic University Programme. It focused on finding the means on how to include the youth in achieving a sustainable Baltic Sea Region. For instance, a question arose whether a youth council for EUSBSR should be created. According to President Heidelk: “The panel had a rather uniform opinion, which was not necessarily shared with the (senior) members of the session.” He carried on by suggesting that a youth council is a good idea if it is properly integrated in the overall summit and not a secluded side event, which would essentially marginalise youth.

Panelists took into account the importance of youth organisations that are increasing awareness on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). For instance, YEL is working on SDG 16, which promotes peaceful and inclusive societies and access to accountable and inclusive institutions. However, young people still lack support to participate in decision-making procedures, especially at local level.

Join YEL at the YEL Discussion Forum on migration 2017, taking place at June 22nd 2017 at the University Foundation in Brussels! The event is for free and will open with a reception. Register now at younglead.eu/activities/discussion-forum. The event will welcome Ms. Claire Courteille-Mulder, Director of the Brussels Office at the International Labour Organization, Ms. Catherine Woollard, Secretary General at the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, and Mr. Antoine Savari, Deputy Head of Unit Legal Migration and Integration at the European Commission, DG HOME.

The event is organized by Young European Leadership in collaboration with Debating Europe. The event concludes a pan-European debate cycle, with events having been held in Berlin, Budapest, and Valletta. The debate is co-financed by Europe for Citizens programme of the European Union.