IYTT Youth Fellows Join Youth Summit in the European Parliament

Last week, four Youth Fellows from IYTT had the honor of attending the “Youth Can Do It” Summit, hosted by the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament in Brussels. Over two inspiring days, 100 young people from across Europe came together in the very heart of EU democracy to brainstorm, debate, and build plans for the future. The mission of the summit was to include young people in reshaping Europe’s future. Through workshops, training sessions, and conversations with political leaders, the participants worked side by side to tackle Europe’s greatest challenges — from disinformation and the war in Ukraine to mental health issues and EU enlargement.

Lisa, an IYTT youth fellow from 2020 and currently a trainee in the European Parliament, was part of the summit’s organizing team. She used her experience of working in the IYTT to contribute ideas on how the summit could be organized and structured. During the summit, she joined a workshop with young activists from Ukraine that left a profound impact on her. Their stories gave a picture of how daily life works during the war — one participant described how an ordinary evening out with friends might end with the sound of drones overhead. The session strengthened the collective resolve among participants to further support youth movements in Ukraine.

Dev, a British-Asian youth fellow from the 2020 conference, travelled from London to attend the summit. In the first workshop focused on bridging borders through international projects, he engaged in discussions concerning critical existing barriers to young people benefitting from cultural exchange opportunities, as well as professional and academic ventures such as Erasmus+. Through the course of the conversation, the young people were able to identify opportunities to address shared barriers and issues across various countries, as well as recognise the instances within which there were more localised examples facing certain EU member and non-member states. The second workshop on youth participation in policymaking was incredibly insightful, with Dev’s main takeaway being that whilst certain issues can often be seen as more relevant to young people; this is far from the truth. In order to come up with solutions and approaches that truly reflect the priorities and concerns for young people today, a holistic approach must be taken with all topical issues being discussed in European politics today. Dev felt like he had the most to contribute to the final workshop on community-Response planning, as this most closely aligned to his day job. This workshop created a space for the young people to engage in critical discourse about the dangers of misinformation and how to best effectively manage, campaign for and influence change. The thought-provoking and inspiring opening and closing remarks, as well as the various networking opportunities with fellow young changemakers attending the summit left a lasting impression on Dev, instilling hope that positive social change can be had, and despite persistent narratives and representations in the media, there are people who still care and wish to fight for the rights and protections of young people, as well as all groups in society.

Alice, a British youth fellow from the 2021 cohort, was excited to be able to participate in discussions about the EU, especially with Brexit feeling like the elephant in the room. In a workshop focusing on EU enlargement it was insightful to hear perspectives from enthused young people from non member states like Bosnia and Georgia. Understanding the struggle in reaching criteria alongside the pressure from Russia increasing pressure to be considered “part of Europe”. There were incredibly progressive discussions about what the EU represents and how it could be reformed. She felt she contributed most to a workshop on social media and mental health run by a Polish charity for young people, building on her experiences in Washington DC at the IYTT conference she shared ideas and experiences from young people who saw the dangers of social media overuse and the need for better education on these dangers. Once again, an incredible experience to be working alongside like minded young people, reminding her how important youth participation and experiences are in building a future full of hope. 

Sondre, a Norwegian youth fellow from 2023 currently studying Politics and International Relations in Berlin, worked with participants from across Europe to explore themes on how young people can play a more active role in shaping cross-border cooperation and community resilience through participating in workshops on Bridging Borders, Youth Participation in Policymaking and Community Response Planning. Something that made a large impact was hearing about the variety of different mechanisms and initiatives that are being created to give youth a bigger voice in our societies, highlighting our priorities and listening to our ideas. He left the conference with a great sense of optimism that, despite our age, young people have agency and the potential to take the future into our own hands and together create a better tomorrow.

In conclusion, the Youth Can Do It summit in Brussels was a positive and meaningful experience for us, not only because it brought together four IYTT Youth Fellows to a mini-reunion, but also because it created space to connect with like-minded young people from across Europe. It offered a valuable opportunity to share the work of the IYTT, exchange ideas, and engage directly with policymakers shaping EU decisions. The summit demonstrated that youth perspectives are increasingly sought after and valued across Europe, which is both encouraging and deeply motivating for all of us. We hope that the ideas we brought forward will lead to tangible change and that the IYTT will be invited to the next summit!