The future challenges for young people will be placed at the top of the agenda during the fourth edition of the European Youth Week, to be held from the 2nd to 9th of November 2008. An unprecedented number of political debates, cultural and other activities will be organised in all corners of Europe, with numerous activities taking place in Brussels for some 200 selected young participants.
Literally hundreds of events and activities will be organised in all countries participating in the EU’s Youth in Action programme. These range from political debates at local, regional and national level, where young Europeans will be discussing the future challenges facing young people, to cultural events and activities linked to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008.
The event in Brussels is organised in close co-operation with the European Youth Forum (EYF). The young people selected by National Youth Councils and the EYF will have exchanges with the EU institutions on the future challenges for youth, which will culminate in a political discussion (on 6 November) with Commissioner Ján Figel’ and other representatives of the European Commission, as well as European Parliamentarians. These debates represent an important part of the Commission’s consultations with young people prior to the forthcoming review of the political framework for co-operation in the field of youth that is due in the spring of 2009.
Commenting on the European Youth Week 2008, the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Ján Figel’ said: “The Commission is committed to consulting with young people on matters of particular concern to them. I am impressed with the unprecedented number of activities being organised all over Europe. These activities will ensure that the voice of young people is heard, before we embark upon reviewing the framework of co-operation for young people at European level. The Youth Week is also an occasion to mark the 20th anniversary of the EU’s programmes in support of youth, in which more than one and half million young people have already participated. I am glad that through our youth programmes these young people have gained new competences and invaluable intercultural experiences.”
Activities organised by the agencies of the Youth in Action programme and their local partners in the different countries will contribute to the overall objective of the European Youth Weeks: providing youth with a platform and an opportunity to participate and make their voice heard.
European Youth Weeks have been organised by the European Commission in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and now a regular interval of 18 months has been established.
The activities in Brussels will feature the “European Youth Celebrations” (on 5 November), which is a youth contribution to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008. 33 projects, each representing a country participating in the Youth in Action Programme, will participate in the ceremony and will be showed during a special exhibition. Out of this number the best 7 projects from different actions of the Programme will receive trophies in the presence of Commissioner Ján Figel’. The “European Youth Celebrations” also mark the successful implementation of EU programmes in favour of youth over two decades.
The photograph above shows Clyde Puli, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, with children at the European Youth Week, being held here in Malta between the 2nd and the 9th of November in Valletta.