Eurodesk Brussels Link and Eurodesk Romania successfully held its bi-annual Network Meeting from 25-29 September 2023 in Bucharest, Romania, bringing together National Coordinators from 35 countries (offline and online) for knowledge exchange and collaboration to enhance youth support in Europe.
The event featured interactive sessions, panel discussions, updates from the European Commission on DiscoverEU and the 2024 European Youth Week and project showcases aimed at empowering young people. Distinguished speakers highlighted the importance of cooperation between Eurodesk, ERYICA, and EYCA networks at the European and national levels.
Outstanding projects from Eurodesk National Coordinators were presented during the Pitch session, inspiring participants with initiatives such as the ‘European Youth Capital Study Visit’, ‘Eurodesk Project Writing Camp’, ‘I Draw My Green Europe’ competition, ‘Zombies Aren't Democrats’ campaign, and the ‘Eurodesk Poland app’.
Key topics including stress management and self-care, Eurodesk Youth Information Tools & Activities, Eurodesk Competence Framework and Eurodesk Work Plans for 2024 were also addressed during the meeting, focusing on national and European priorities.
In addition to the informative sessions, participants had opportunities for networking, cultural exchanges, and experiencing the local attractions and cuisine of Bucharest, Romania.
The National Coordinators participated in the Eurodesk Stars competition, aiming to celebrate the best youth projects of 2023.
The winners are:
Inclusive Star - Eurodesk Germany - a tooltip app on a special landing page for impaired young people, with which an avatar translates the most important terms of the text into sign language.
Green Star - Eurodesk Germany - flyers printed on environmentally friendly grass paper.
Digital Star - Go Europe Netherlands - podcasts about European programmes “GO Podcast”
Youth Work Star - Eurodesk Czechia - “Zombies aren't Democrats”, an interactive theatre performance for high school students
The General Assembly of Eurodesk marked a crucial part of the meeting, membership affairs, and the adoption of the 2024 Work Plan and Budget were discussed.
Eurodesk Brussels Link expresses gratitude to all participants and partners for their valuable contributions to the success of the Network Meeting. The event concluded on 29 September, leaving participants inspired to carry forth the knowledge gained.
