Record number of applicants for the IYC2023!

The call for our fifth anniversary International Youth Conference closed on August 14, and we are happy and proud to have conquered two amazing records by receiving 540 applications from a staggering 68 different nationalities. Last year’s record numbers with 224 applications from 57 nationalities are thus by far exceeded.

Since we provide all applicants with traveling and lodging to level out potential economic inequalities, and prioritize sustainable transportation, only applicants residing in Europe by the time of the conference are practically eligible for the conference. This is clearly pronounced in the conference call, but we still receive a great number of applications from youth living in many parts of the world. Applications come from African countries such as Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, and Malawi, Asian countries like Jordan, India, and Bangladesh, and American countries such as Ecuador. This great spread is encouraging and supports our vision to expand the activities of the IYTT beyond the European continent and host our youth conferences in other parts of the world.

Another striking feature is that applications come not only from youth living in established democracies, but also from youth living in countries with authoritarian regimes such as Russia, Egypt, and China. This too, shows the great need for what we do and the desire for youth all over the world to see an end to oppression and a brighter future.

This year’s conference commemorates the think tank’s fifth anniversary, and we are excited that it will be located to Barcelona, since the city is the first European Capital of Democracy designated by the votes of thousands citizens.