Introduction: This conference invites young people from Europe to reflect upon the meaning of sustainability. It is organised by a group of young people for young people with the aim of creating a platform from which their voices could be heard. Further, the conference will bring together young leaders with ideas and projects to foster a discussion among them and also to understand how their innovative ideas could be implemented. The core belief of this conference is that young people can make a real change if they work together!
Objectives: The European Youth Future Conference aims to discuss issues related to sustainability. The conference is organised around 10 workshops and participants are asked to select those they wish to attend. A maximum of 15 participants will be selected for each workshop and a facilitator-expert in the field will guide the discussion. Another pool of experts will be present during the conference and visit the workshops to meet the participants and discuss their ideas. By the end of the conference, participants, regardless of the workshop they have attended, will be able to account for the issue they have explored from 4 point of views; the economic, the ecological, the social, and the cultural perspective. The workshops will explore the following themes:
- Our soil and common ground
- Experience post growth! For a better economy and society
- Water – should it be a common resource or be privatised?
- Renewable energies between centralism and autonomy
- Food consumption – throwing away society – organic labels and beyond
- Environmental lobbying
- Fracking – the never ending story of fossil fuel
- Education and its role in saving earth’s eco-systems
- Photography as a means to promote social change
- The web of live – why and how connections matter (in German only)
For more information regarding the contents of each workshop, look here. Workshops will be accompanied by lectures and discussions with activists in the field of sustainability to better understand the challenges of environmental problems.
Venue: International Youth Hostel, Bonn (Germany)
Dates: 1-7 September 2013
Eligibility: Young people from all over Europe aged 18-28
Why it is important for NGOs to attend it: The conference represents a great opportunity to showcase your organisation’s ideas and also to advertise what you have already done in your community. You will join a group of enthusiastic young people from all over Europe and become part of an exciting platform for innovation. Also, it is worth considering that the most innovative ideas developed during the conference will be offered a starting capital of Euro 2,000 to be implemented.
Fees: The minimum contribution fee is Euro 145 although participants can choose to donate more thus enabling individuals in financial difficulties to be helped and join the conference as well. Consider that the total cost would be around Euro 1,000 per participant. Thanks to generous donations, participants are requested only a small contribution towards the costs of the conference.
Application deadlines: 15 August 2013
How to apply: Applications must be filled in via the online system. Applicants will be asked to provide personal and contact details, to explain why they want to participate in the conference, their workshop of choice, and payment type. The application form can be found here
Additional information can be found here
