Yes Everyone Aspires Exchange of Youth Enthusiasm!

Yes Everyone Aspires Exchange of Youth Enthusiasm!

And this is exactly what happened in Strasbourg during the European Youth Event 2021.

If one had told me, when applying to become a Young European Ambassador, that in four years’ time I would have an amazing weekend with so many new stimulus and experiences in Strasbourg, I wouldn’t have probably believed them.

I know that a weekend in the parliament in Strasbourg sounds fancy and maybe a bit too far away from daily life and many hesitate to make the step to apply for such an event in the first place. I also know that seeing the posts and photos of the YEAs initiative online can seem to be something far away from the struggles of university, school, and work, something too far away to be part of. At least this is how I felt for some time. 

Youth participation is a nice thing on paper, but is it really feasible? Do I actually have the room to say something and if yes, do I have something important enough to be heard?

The answer to the second question is definitely a YES. Everyone has inputs worth sharing and worth further developing with others. Everyone has unique experiences that have made them have a slightly or even significantly different outlook on life from the ones standing next to them and can help people taking a similar path as theirs in the future.

The real question is: am I trying to look out for new opportunities in order to express those ideas? Do I try to find the initiatives that are going to help me promote them and reach a bigger audience?

I believe that the one step we have to do as young people with ideas and aspirations, is to find safe spaces to express them and make them heard. Decision makers always say that they want more youth participation, no matter which part of the world one comes from and lives in. The EU NEIGHBOURS east’s Young European Ambassadors’ initiative is an example for that, where youth from all over the world and especially the Eastern Partnership countries make their dreams and voices heard and are networking and connecting with others in the process.

The application for such programs takes only 20 minutes, the work put into them weekly takes up to 1,5 hours, the effect they have on you takes up to a lifetime and could also have a similar effect on others. So why wait and not hit the apply buttons for all the opportunities presented in your way? Start now by applying to become a Young European Ambassador!