Nationality: Albanian

Present residency: Albania, Fushe-kruje

Year of birth: 1997

“I think my participation in this conference can be the last strike or push up I need for a breakthrough in my personal and professional life, so finally I can shape my ideas, visions, dreams into reality, maybe the inspiration, experience, and the knowledge I will get will help me to deliver this! I think that all the background I have in different areas and life experience will help me to be a great company, to share the story and history of my country, sometime all we need is a good listener and I am, so right now, in the times we are living I think it is one of the most important things, except these I am pretty creative to come up with ideas that will help us to integrate-socialize with each other! I know first hand from my country what we shouldn’t do, and I do know even the consequences that an unjust system  brings, so I will share the experience of my country and give ideas as Platon did in “Republic”. I don’t think there is a perfect democracy out there, but at least some countries are stable and they have divorced corruption and organised crime from their bed (government) but putting some standards help, and from standards my ideas will come.”

Nationality: German

Present residency: Freiburg, Germany

Year of birth: 1999

“If I take my past experiences abroad into consideration I think my personal development will be enhanced mostly through the contact with the other participants. Learning about different backgrounds, ideas and dreams through stories and shared experiences is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful tools to revisit my own perspective on what it means to be a young adult in europe today. I am a very open person with an intrest in almost every topic on this planet and, given my age, a lot of past experiences in very diverse activities from music to science and disaster relief efforts to traveling in three continents.  Pared with my love for everything to do with talking (discussions, strory telling, conversations, and sometimes even listening, …) I hope to do my part in creating successful conference for everyone. Having spent 6 months in countries where the freedom of movement and free speech aren’t given rights, I feel very strongly about protecting the rights the European Union grants its citizens. At the same time there are so many things we all could improve in that regard so exploring options on how every one of us can make a difference is something I hope to achieve.”

Nationality: Armenian

Present residency: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Year of birth: 1998

“I consider the International Youth Conference 2021 as yet another tool that will advance not only my personal aspirations and initiatives, but also afford me the opportunity to be a leading voice for the young Syrian refugee community, in Northern Ireland, Europe and beyond. I will be sharing my own experiences and expertise as a youth worker and a peace builder primarily working with young refugees as the president of a youth organization, Voices of Young Refugees in Europe (VYRE). I am looking forward to sharing my expertise as an activist who continuously works towards just and democratic societies at IYC2021. We need to raise common concerns and strengthen capacities in order to contribute to more inclusive societies in Europe.”

Nationalities: Italian

Present residency: Torino, Italy

Year of birth: 2001

“Through the exchange with my fellow participants I look forward to improve my self-awareness regarding the concrete steps I can take to contribute to the well being of our democracies. I hope my critical approach to problem-solving will help to steer discussions towards functional and concrete solutions for the current issues of our democratic societies. I also wish my background and experiences will bring insight to understand the multifaceted challenges our democracies face and I hope even some inspiration on how to sort them out.”

Nationality: Greek

Present residency: Thessaloniki, Greece

Year of Birth: 2000

“Participating in IYC is a great chance to express yourself, debate and finally understand how a multicultural forum conceives democracy; this is actually the dialectical trajectory that leads to intellectual personal growth. Since I’ve been participating in similar projects, simulations and think tanks for more than 6 years, I think I have developed a strong interest for cultural exchanges and I have come to understand the meaning of intercultural dialogue. As a result, I tend to believe that my eloquence and sociability will help so as to break the ice and communicate effectively. As far as my personal contribution to IYC is concerned, I hope to bring democratic reconstruction to light in a practical way so as to achieve a universal and inclusive democratic reality tailor-made for our needs and challenges. That’s truly the quintessence of democratic values; the continuous effort to dovetail with the polyprismatic face of our communities.”

Nationality: Bulgarian

Present Residence: Cordoba, Spain

Year of birth: 2000

“During the conference, I will be able to exchange ideas and cooperate with motivated young people from all over Europe and build a network of open-minded fellows that share similar goals. Participants will enhance their intercultural competences and ability to work in an international environment which is crucial in the sphere of leadership and youth work. I believe I can socially contribute to the IYC because of my vast international experience and active engagement in youth work and events. I can work and learn in an intercultural atmosphere and respect different values and points of view, but always like to present and defend mine. I am responsible, ambitious and always curious about trying out and learning new things. I can share stories from the various youth events I have attended and share my personal experience being part of a youth organization and carrying out youth exchange programs. We stand for equal chances for all young people in our society and attempt to contribute to a more active civil society.”

Nationality: Spanish

Present residency: Aarhus, Denmark

Year of birth: 1998

“My personal development will be definitely enhanced through conference participation by the opportunity of carefully getting to know different opinions and views as well as collaborating along with other international participants in sharing our ideas, perceptions, and solutions for current global challenges. I will contribute to the conference socially by sharing my views with other participants and keeping a close contact with them in order to create further collaborations in the future. I consider that listening to other participants’ opinions is an essential task in order to draw the key multidisciplinary and comprehensive points concerning the values that must lead an open democratic society. Having said this, through my academic background in International Relations and Humanitarian Action and Conflict, where democracy promotion is a key element, and my current formation in Human Security, where political security is one of the main pillars of the whole framework, I thus aim at providing solid insights and inputs on how democracy can help both developed and fragile states and societies in order to face ongoing challenges and how they should be developed in order to avoid a fragile democratic consolidation.”

Nationality: Portugese

Present residency: Oporto, Portugal

Year of birth: 1997

“I expect to share my ideas and debate with my fellow participants and to be inspired by them. In the end, it would be amazing if we could go home with a couple of common projects or initiatives to be set up in our cities. I will try to make friendship bonds with the participants, in order to help them with any particular unsettling thoughts or doubts they might have about the complex world we live in and/or about the conference itself. I hope to be emotionally supported like that as well if I need to :). Hugs will not be lacking! For me is very important to debate and share what we have in our minds. The way we see the world says a lot both about the world and about ourselves. We should have time to express all our dreams and insecurities about the future. As for me, my utopian world is a place where we live to learn and to think freely.”

Nationality: Spanish

Present residency: Murcia, Spain

Year of birth: 1997

“I am convinced that we cannot understand what is happening to my country if I do not understand what is happening to the world. Contemporary political processes derive from transnational movements and there is no better way to understand what happens to us than by crossing the borders of our reality. As a young man living in a rural area in southern Spain (Murcia Region) I think I can provide an alternative vision on some key challenges for the European Union. And of course, I’m looking forward to meeting people with similar interests. My research interests on the phenomenon of affective polarization and perception gap lead me to defend that our societies are dominated by a false sense of distance that separates and divides us. We are not as far away as we think and it is necessary to promote a discourse that reduces prejudices and emphasizes those who unite us.”

Nationality: German

Present residency: Munich, Germany

Year of birth: 2002

My vision for the IYC is to be an even more socially critical but committed citizen after the academy and to fully immerse in the discussions, social events and the unique exchange with decisionmakers. Bringing my portable piano for a karaoke evening 😉 As a jury member of Germany’s youth democracy prize I would like to share my ideas how democracies can be more open and inclusive in regards to youth participation.”

Nationality: Spanish

Present residency: Joensuu, Finland

Year of birth: 1998

“I am very excited to make the most out of this conference sharing my ideas with young leaders from different backgrounds, as I am sure that it will empower all of us to create a positive change in our communities. In the past, I have worked in international environments including at International House, Berkeley, the Permanent Representation of Spain at the Council of Europe, and Youth and Environment Europe. All of them are places that are also driven by the power of multicultural exchange, so I will be exploring further ways to boost intercultural communication in the long term at the event. Concerning my vision on the values that the open societies of tomorrow must have, I will be happy to discuss the challenges of environmental degradation and the climate crisis, as it represents a real threat to humanity, and to share ideas on how we can make social media -one of the most influential technologies we have created in the history of humankind- more democratic.”

Nationality: British/Portuguese

Present residency: London, United Kingdom

Year of birth: 2000

“I believe that personal development begins with exposure to new ideas; with the conference committed to finding solution for the planet and the people that live on it, I hope to connect and discuss ideas that I can transfer to the choices and values I do and uphold in my daily life. The best environment to discuss ideas and solutions is one where everyone feels comfortable; I hope to create bonds and friendships with my fellow colleagues at the conference so we are all comfortable and therefore working at our maximum potential. How will you contribute to the conference regarding ideas about the values of an open and democratic society? As a History and Politics undergraduate student, I hope to share the case studies of societies I have studied to draw inspiration from the aspects that have worked and can be applied to the solutions we create.”

Nationality: Japanese

Present residency: Gothenburg, Sweden

Year of Birth: 2000

“Without a doubt, the connections, experiences, and knowledge I will gain through the International Youth Conference will allow me to make an even bigger impact on Japan and the world. This conference will be a significant stepping stone to my lifelong journey of making the world a better place. I will contribute to the conference by sharing my unique perspectives on different topics formed from living and studying in global settings and representing my country at various international conferences. I am looking forward to meeting and working with passionate, driven, and inspiring leaders at the conference. I have lived and studied in Japan and the United States and currently, I am an exchange student in Sweden. I am also a youth delegate for this year’s Athens Democracy Forum. At the Conference, I will exchange my ideas from the perspectives of those countries and from the point of view of a youth delegate.”

Nationality: German

Present residency: Paris, France

Year of Birth: 1996

“From my personal experience in intercultural educational programs and youth conferences, I can say that I do not only think differently about other countries and cultures, but I also improved my understanding of local challenges elsewhere and common regional and global challenges. Similarly, I believe that by participating in the IYTT conference 2021 I will further enhance my personal development through encounters with inspiring people and discussions on current challenges to find comprehensive and practical solutions to tackle these challenges. I aim to contribute to the conference through my experience as an active participant in European Youth Events and the EU Youth Dialogue. As such, I believe that I can contribute through my creative, interdisciplinary, and interactive approach to problem-solving, constantly aiming to connect different ideas to create a more comprehensive set of policy recommendations. Regarding my ideas about the values of an open and democratic society, I believe that international and intercultural dialogue and trust are essential to increase the willingness and ability of intercultural understanding as the basis for tackling contemporary challenges together. In that context, I would like to contribute the idea to create and implement internationally integrated school curricula that include but go beyond school trips abroad or exchange programs by incorporating discussions on specific topics between students from different countries as an integral part of the school curricula for all European schools – an internationally integrated European school curriculum.”

Nationality: American

Present residency: Berlin, Germany

Year of birth: 1998

“I am eager to engage with my peers and hear unique solutions to modern challenges facing democracy. I hope lively debate and interaction with other young people will inspire conversations focused on the future! As an American in Europe, my background in US politics and knowledge of Transatlantic relations will bring a unique perspective to the conference, highlighting my ability to address democratic concerns both in the European Union and on a global scale. I am particularly interested in considering alternative economic futures discordant to capitalist constructions of democracy to address contemporary nationalism and populism. My expertise in examining feminist political ecology and economy could help address some of the largest worldwide threats to democracy and quality of living, such as gender inequity and climate change.”

Nationality: French/Moroccan

Present residency: Paris, France

Year of Birth: 2000

Attending the IYTT conference will enhance my interpersonal and team skills through the group workshops, as well as my ability to adapt in international and multicultural environments. I will most definitely gain in open-mindedness, eloquence and analytical skills by listening to my fellows’ ideas, sharing mine and being challenged during debates.

(2) How will you contribute to the conference socially?
Most of my friends would describe me as someone extroverted and open-minded. I hope these personnality traits will contribute to creating a close-knit and open-minded environment in which everyone feels safe to share their mind and the experiences that shaped them into who they are.

(3) How will you contribute to the conference regarding ideas about the values of an open and democratic society?
I am really looking forward to sharing the teachings drawn from my experience as a dual citizen when reflecting on the values of an open and democratic society. I hope to bring to the table relevant knowledge I got from the academic, cultural and personal experiences that shaped my mind.

Nationality: Bulgarian

Present residency: Sophia, Bulgaria

Year of birth: 2003

“My participation in the conference will allow me to meet and exchange ideas and inspirations with open-minded young people living in different countries. This experience will help me in my personal development by giving me the confidence to speak up and voice my ideas, and it will provide me with different points of view that will help me strengthen my knowledge. With my positivism and kindness to people I will contribute to the communication  process by encouraging other participants to present themselves and their unique ideas. At the end of an intense day, everyone can count on me to lift the spirit and crack a joke to make the experience more comfortable and fun for everyone. By participating in the conference, I want to be part of an environment where new ideas can be voiced, and different perspectives can be shared. Coming from a country in Eastern Europe I can share my personal experience from living in a place where problems in the democratic society like corruption, political fraud and instability are still present and hard to overcome. I will present my point of view as a young creator who takes the problems of socio-political life and refracts them through the prism of art.”

Nationality: British

Present residency: United Kingdom

Year of birth: 2001

“The opportunity offered by the International Youth Think Tank conference to discuss pertinent social, cultural, political, and economic matters related to the tenets of maintaining and achieving open societies is one that I am eager to learn from. To do within a group of people from across the world also presents an exciting opportunity for discussion and building harmonious connections. With a range of intercultural and cross-industry exchanges and experiences, I hope to able to offer insightful ideas on topics discussed and to work collectively towards encouraging an amicable and supportive environment during the conference, thus leading to productive discussions. A determination to learn about different approaches, alongside strong interpersonal and intercultural skills, is likely to prove valuable when interacting within a diverse set of stakeholders, and with the different tasks that conference participants may participate in, it would surely be beneficial to share our understandings of topics discussed and to vicariously learn from one another about specific areas of interest, research, and expertise. Learning more about the decision-making processes behind the current strategy of the International Youth Think Tank in utilising features from both conferences and think tanks would hopefully mean that conference participants can offer recommendations for meaningful and continuous progress in regard to the current, and potential future strategies, for improving both the conferences and the work of the think tank, in general. Following on from conference discussions to then produce a report demonstrates an opportunity to contribute to longer-term objectives beyond the conference.”

Nationality: Italian

Present residency: Rolo -Reggio Emilia, Italy

Year of birth: 2001

“As a young adult in a ‘2021 world’ I know that I cannot take everything for granted – not even my future. This definitely pushes me to get to know people that might be the next change-makers and just share. This conference will enhance my listening abilities and will help me create a network of people that can lead our global community to its best. I am quite an extrovert and I tend to keep the conversation always active even with people that are usually reserved. My aim this time is not to always speak, but to LISTEN in order to put into practice in society at the end of the conference. An open and democratic society can be perceived in different ways. I hope to be able to contribute to the conference bringing up limits and new frontiers regarding such topics and particularly to shift the view from what we have always been exposed to, to what we cannot ignore.”

Nationality: British

Present residency: London, United Kingdom

Year of Birth: 1999

“I am excited for the conversations, networking opportunities, and the opportunity to deeply understand the discussions at the conference, and I’m sure that these discussions will contribute to my understanding and capabilities in our topic areas! I have a lot I’d love to add, coming from years of experience as a youth entrepreneur, youth representative, and youth worker. I have a deep understanding of our generation, as well as of solutions, innovations, and even mental health insights that I’m sure would be constructive to our discussions. I’m keen to contribute to the discussions using these perspectives to help us understand solutions to make our society even more open and democratic.”

Nationality: British

Present residency: Groningen, The Netherlands

Year of birth: 2001

“There is no better way to develop as a person than to be thrown in at the deep end! I am very much looking forward to being surrounded by passionate young people who will challenge, inspire and encourage me to become the best possible version of myself. When it comes to issues that I am passionate about, from international politics to youth mental health, it is pretty difficult for me not to be social! I love learning new things and broadening my horizons, meeting new people and discussing the things that matter most to us. I truly believe that, as young people, our voice is the most powerful weapon we have. Being able to exercise our opinions in a safe environment is a privilege that not every young person around the world is awarded. I will therefore endeavour to use this opportunity to advocate for those who are often unheard – young people have the power to change the world, and every voice matters.”

Nationality: Polish

Present residency: Poland, Warsaw

Year of birth: 1999

“ ‘We know what we are, but know not what we may be’- William Shakespeare. That quote clearly explains my attitude toward the IYTT conference. Every experience that we gain, changes us and I believe that the conference will do so. Being able to spread my thoughts regarding current issues and problems motivates me to investigate more on the topic I would like to bring to the floor during the conference. Getting a chance to meet young leaders with different perspectives and beliefs from the whole continent is just so exciting, as we would be able to conduct deep conversations regarding taboo topics. I am a socially open-minded person that likes to discuss important issues with others. It’s worth mentioning that altogether by collaboration we can achieve more than if we were alone. Living in a country that is constantly fighting against the European Union, and in which the constitution and human rights are in violation of the government, shows how important young solidarity is nowadays. Surely I will declaim issues regarding discrimination of minority groups as usage of growing political power of the party. Moreover, I will contribute to the conference with my values, ideas, and experience gained throughout my international experience. Last but not least, let me tell you my definition of democracy, for me, it means freedom of speech and power to change the world.”

Nationality: Ukrainian

Present residency: Moscow, Russia

Year of birth: 2003

“I guess the conference will give me a chance to believe in the relevance and non-futility of my ideas. Moreover, I will improve the research skills that enable me to reach my full potential and apply it in solving social problems in the nearest future. In fact, I strive for communicating with young people who have various backgrounds because only together we, creative and open-minded individuals, can revise and then boost democracy. Indeed, it is dramatically challenging because I see and hear every day that the values of «an open and democratic society» are not universal and they do not suit or fit some communities. Probably it is just a myth spread by authorities wanting to hold onto power but we should understand that if we want to engage citizens in politics we have to ruin all these stereotypes. In order to «treat» the «disease», we should assure persons that their current «health» is neither normal nor robust.”

Nationality: Swedish

Present residency: Gothenburg, Sweden

Year of birth: 1998

“The key to growing as a person is by doing new things and meet new people. This conference will let me do both of those things. I have always loved to mingle, this is one of the main things I am looking forward to with this year´s conference. As a person, I like to have everyone engaged in the conversation and now when we are so many people from different countries I think this will be really interesting. I will use both the experiences that I have from my personal life and the people in it but also from my academic career. However foremost I will listen to the experts and the other participants of this conference and together we will deepen all our thoughts.”