The small gestures we make during our days have a great impact on the planet where we live and it is important to take new action to live in a sustainable Europe.

Without realising it, in fact, the choice during our purchases, the food we buy, the objects we own have great effects on the environment and climate change.

The future hinges on our capacity to shift towards a circular economy. This means not only encouraging companies to produce goods sustainably but also altering our consumer habits to repair, reuse, and recycle products, extending their lifespan whenever feasible.

These issues were addressed during the policy dialogue conducted by Executive vice-president Frans Timmermans. If you are interested in learning more about sustainability in Europe, read on and learn how to watch the event video in streaming.

The aims of the dialogue

During the event, the theme of sustainable Europe was addressed. Participants talk about how European citizens can make more informed choices for the protection of the environment.

The conference discussed the following points:

1. How to ensure that shoppers have access to information about the sustainability of foodstuffs and products
2. How to avoid greenwashing and ensure that consumers can trust the sustainability claims made by producers
3. How to design products that have a longer lifespan to avoid ‘planned obsolescence’

The discussion allowed the 15 participants from all over Europe to discuss this topic and to express their opinions.

The topics of the discussion

At the end of the event were drawn up three key points that will be used to create awareness among the young generations of Europe:

1. Sustainable Production. The consensus among participants was that it’s essential to cultivate greater interest among industries in sustainable choices. Additionally, there’s a need to persuade consumers to opt for less plastic and provide them with more sustainable alternatives.
2. Energy. During his conversation with young participants, Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans emphasized the significance of transforming the energy production methods in Europe and enhancing our daily energy efficiency. These measures will diminish our reliance on Russian oil and gas.
3. Food. During the conversation participants proposed the idea that, similar to energy labels, a straightforward labelling system could be useful for food. However, he cautioned against the risk of greenwashing and false labelling, stressing the importance of creating certifiable and easily comprehensible labels.Furthermore, he pointed out that producing food closer to consumers facilitates better traceability back to the producer.

The Video Resume

If you are curious and interested in finding out more about the topic you can see the video summary of the event on the official website.

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L'articolo Sustainable Europe | Dialogue with Young Europeans proviene da Youth Networks.

Are you interested in European programmes and do you want to know how Europeans funds work and how they can be accessed?

There are endless possibilities for youth associations, authorities, schools, universities and many other actors, but it is often not easy to obtain information about the programmes that the European Parliament offers.

For this reason we are pleased to announce the publication of the Official Guide to Europeans Funds 2023!

The Guide

The guide has several chapters, each one explaining the Europeans funds of each area in which the European Parliament works.

It covers financing under the EU’s 2021-2027 budget and the funds are listed in a simple way with a short descriptions highlighting the opportunities they offer.

Each chapter explains in detail the operation of each program, how to get funds and specific links to official sites; we recommend reading the chapter “CULTURE, EDUCATION, YOUTH, SPORT“, in which the authors illustrate in details all the tools and possibilities that the European Parliament offers to young people and youth associations.

This paragraph explains numerous youth mobility programmes and opportunities, including:

• Erasmus+
• European Solidarity Corps
• YouthPass

It also shows how to use the official websites, and how to access all their features.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the guide is an extremely useful tool for all those who approach European programmes for the first time or those who want to learn how to access funds.

The guide is free and online and despite being extremely rich in information, it’s really easy to access the desired chapters through the links in the index.

Are ready to discover all the opportunities of European funds?

Discover the guide now!

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SALTO Participation and Information Resource Centre (SALTO PI) and SALTO Inclusion and Diversity Resource Centre (SALTO ID) are hosting an online panel on Digital Rights on 7 March 2023 at 13:00 CET.

With digital rights being a crucial topic, especially for young people who spend a significant amount of time online, this panel will discuss the latest academic research on the subject and the importance of digital transformation to ensure the rights of young people online.

Digital Rights: Ensuring Human Rights Online

Digital rights are essentially human rights, but in a digital space. Each individual should have access to fundamental human rights such as the right to freedom of expression, privacy, and protection from discrimination, even when interacting online. The panel will focus on these topics, and the importance of these rights in opening up online communities, education, and work opportunities.

Who Can Participate?

This panel is ideal for:

• youth workers;
• trainers;
• educators interested in digital transformation;
• everyone interested in this topic;

The panel discussion will be live on Facebook and YouTube, making it easily accessible for everyone. In conclusion, the online panel hosted by SALTO PI and SALTO ID on March 7, 2023, is a crucial forum for discussing digital transformation and its role in safeguarding the rights of young people online. Don’t miss this opportunity, join the event!

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ID Talks, in collaboration with the Mental Health in Youth Work project, announces 2023 as the “Year of Mental Health” with two editions: “Understanding Mental Health” in the spring and “Discovering Mental Health Practices” in the autumn.

The ID Talks series consists of five individual online workshops, each lasting up to 90 minutes, featuring inspiring guest speakers and thought-provoking discussions. ID Talks focuses on mental health to promote inclusion & well-being for young people.

Let’s take a closer look at ID Talks now!

The Spring 2023 Edition

Mental health and wellbeing are at the core of European Youth Goals and the EU Youth Strategy, but a growing number of young people are expressing concern over the prevalence of mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. The ‘Mental Health in Youth Work’ project, in partnership with SALTO Inclusion & Diversity Resources Centre, aims to raise awareness and develop mental health literacy and competences in youth workers.

ID Talks Spring 2023 offers 5 online workshops on youth mental health & well-being to improve understanding of the connection with quality youth work.

ID Talks will take place every other Wednesday at 1 PM CET from February 15 through April 12. The schedule is as follows

• 15 February: “Mental Health Explained” with guest speaker Maria Agorastou, Greece
• 1 March: “Climate-Change Anxiety” with guest speaker Anna Pribil, Austria
• 15 March: “Social-Media Addiction” with guest speaker Katja Mankinen, Sosped Fondation, Finland
• 29 March: “Supporting Young People’s Wellbeing” with guest speaker Ana Perović, Serbia
• 12 April: “Youth-Workers Wellbeing” with guest speaker Natalja Gudakovska, Latvia

Each workshop will begin with input from a guest speaker, followed by a discussion, Q&A session, and the opportunity for participants to share their own experiences. Check the Facebook event for more details.

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Public Consultation on European Qualifications Framework

The European Year of Skills 2023: Empowering Youth with Soft Skills Development

L'articolo ID Talks: Understanding Mental Health in Youth Work proviene da Youth Networks.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation to review the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for the period 2017-2022. The EQF is a standard reference framework for lifelong learning that acts as a translation tool to better comprehend and compare national qualifications.

The EQF for Lifelong Learning

The European Qualifications Framework is divided into eight levels, which are represented as learning outcomes with increasing degrees of competency. Countries connect their national qualification systems to the EQF levels, making it easier to comprehend what a qualification achieved in another country represents. 

This public consultation will help to evaluate the EQF by learning: 

• how the EQF has been utilised;
• what its advantages are;
• how it might be improved;

Workers, learners, employers, and stakeholders from education and training, employment, and civil society can participate in the public consultation. The Commission encourages everyone to give their thoughts and participate in the review, regardless of whether they had previously heard about the EQF or not.

The Commission requires everyone’s assistance in understanding how to promote qualification transparency in Europe. If you want to have your say, please complete the questionnaire by March 22, 2023. Your contributions will significantly assist to strengthen the EQF and promote qualification transparency across Europe.

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European Commission Launches Public Consultation on Europass

L'articolo Public Consultation on European Qualifications Framework proviene da Youth Networks.

The European Commission has launched a 12-week public consultation to assess the effect and implementation of Europass, a framework that delivers online tools and information to individuals to help them with their lifelong learning and career management. 

The consultation will collect information regarding the impact of Europass on the European labour market and lifelong learning initiatives, as well as assist the Commission in improving its services.

Objective of the Public Consultation

The public feedback will help to inform the ongoing assessment of the Europass Decision between 2018 and 2022. Its major goal is to collect evidence regarding Europass’s influence on the European job market and lifelong learning policy. Participant’s feedback will assist the Commission in further improving Europass services.

Everyone can participate, including:

• Europass end-users such as learners, employees, job seekers, and volunteers;
• stakeholders such as education and training providers, employers, public employment agencies, non-governmental organisations, and policymakers;
• EU stakeholder groups and operational partners are also encouraged to contribute.

Simply fill out the online form on the Commission’s “Have your say” page to participate in the consultation. The questionnaire is available in every language spoken in the EU.

The public consultation will end on February 28, 2023.

This is a fantastic chance for anyone who have used Europass to share their experiences and offer the Commission with significative input. The consultation outcomes will help to shape Europass’s future and guarantee that it continues to suit the demands of its users. So, if you have something to say about Europass, now is your chance!

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L'articolo European Commission Launches Public Consultation on Europass proviene da Youth Networks.

The EWP+ Consortium has launched a new service to assist higher education institutions in identifying which tool and provider their partners are using to connect to the Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) network. 

This programme, known as the EWP Stats Portal, aims to simplify the process of managing inter-institutional agreements (IIAs) and learning agreements (LAs) with partner institutions.

Key Features of the EWP Stats Portal

The search tool is a fundamental component of the EWP Stats Portal. IT administrators can use the institution name, Erasmus code, city, and country to find their partners. This makes it simple to determine which tool and provider a certain partner is using, which is critical for controlling document exchanges.

Another useful feature is the ability to locate a detailed list of all partners who use a specific provider. This can be useful for two reasons:

• identifying successful data transfers;
• focusing on sharing IIAs and LAs with providers where successful exchanges have occurred;

The data in the EWP Stats Portal is derived directly from the EWP registry, which is the only reliable source of information regarding EWP connections. The EWP registry extracts information from files made accessible by each node in the EWP-network. This information includes data such as the system in use and procedures covered by each EWP participant institution.

The EWP Stats Portal will be gradually expanded with data and statistics in the near future, finally providing data on how the different nodes in the network operate.

Overall, this is an excellent resource for education institutions seeking to increase document sharing and manage collaborations with other schools. It offers a reliable and simple method for determining which tool and provider their partners are using, which is critical for managing IIAs and LAs and guaranteeing successful data transfers.

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The European Youth Forum has announced that applications are now open for the European Youth Capital 2026. This annual award is given to a city that demonstrates a strong commitment to the development and participation of young people in society.

Being named the European Youth Capital has a lot of benefits for a city. It may boost the city’s reputation and attract tourists and companies, while also inspiring other towns to invest in the development of their own young citizens.

Moreover, the application process also provides a chance for decision-makers and youth organisations to collaborate, discuss youth goals, and get feedback on their ideas from an expert committee.

If you think your city has enough of what it takes to become the next European Youth Capital, keep reading!

The Selection Process

The selection process is very competitive, with towns from all throughout Europe invited to apply. To be eligible for the title, communities must submit a detailed submission outlining their objectives for youth development; a team of experts will then evaluate the applications. 

More in detail, cities must submit an application together with a local youth organisation, outlining the following:

• the past performance in the youth field;
• their motivation;
• an initial plan for the year;
• and their willingness to secure the long-lasting legacy of the proposed actions.

An expert jury will select up to five short-listed candidates:  they will receive feedback and ideas on how they can improve their applications before a final winner is chosen and revealed at the European Youth Capital Award Ceremony in November 2023.

The application deadline is on 6th of February 2023; if you need more info about the application process, follow the European Youth Forum webinar that will take place on Tuesday 10 January 2023.

Conclusion

Since 2009, the European Youth Capital title has brought communities together by creating friendly city environments for young people. This title can be a great chance for towns to demonstrate their commitment to young people and inspire other cities to follow their example. Don’t miss the opportunity to apply!

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The Charter on Youth and Democracy

L'articolo Applications open for the European Youth Capital 2026 proviene da Youth Networks.

The European Youth Forum, an organisation that represents over 25 million young people in Europe, in 2022 developed the Charter on Youth and Democracy: a document that outlines the rights and responsibilities of young people in democratic societies. 

The Charter on Youth and Democracy is a detailed document that addresses various topics related to young people’s involvement in democracy, such as:

• the right to vote;
• the freedom of speech and assembly;
• the access to information:

The Charter highlights the necessity of young engagement in decision-making and encourages the development of structures and procedures to facilitate youth participation.

Let’s take a closer look at this document!

The Importance of Youth Participation

Youth participation makes a significant impact on the functioning of a healthy democracy. Through that, young people can have a say in the decisions that affect their lives; moreover, it ensures that the needs and perspective of young people are taken into consideration.

In this scenario, representatives from youth organisations and young elected from around the EU co-created the Charter in a bottom-up approach. It has 49 recommendations organised into four categories:

1 Education, collaboration, and information;

2 Empowerment, leadership, and democratic involvement of youth;

3 The Impact of New Technologies and Digitalization;

4 Youth policy inclusion and political representation;

But how can this document lead to a concrete outcome? Keep reading to find out!

The Role of Governments and Civil Society in Youth Participation

The importance of this document lies in its ability to require governments to take specific actions to support and encourage youth participation. To make youth participation a concrete outcome, governments can move in two directions. 

On one hand, providing young people with the necessary information, resources, and support to enable them to participate in the democratic process. Alternatively, governments can also create opportunities for young people to get involved in decision-making processes at the local, national, and international levels.

Governments are not the only ones having a key-role in this context: civil society organizations, like youth organizations and NGOs, also have an important role to play in promoting youth participation in democracy. These organisations provide young people with the necessary skills, knowledge, and support to become active citizens. 

Conclusion

The Charter on Youth and Democracy is an important document that recognizes the vital role that young people play in democratic societies. It promotes the empowerment of young people to engage in democracy and make choices that affect their lives.

For more information, you can read the charter on Youth and Democracy here.

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L'articolo The Charter on Youth and Democracy proviene da Youth Networks.

It’s easy to get stuck talking to people our own age, whether at work, in school, or among friends. But by breaking out of that comfort zone and connecting with people from different backgrounds, of all ages, we can promote a more diverse and inclusive dialogue.

That’s why MeetEU – an initiative made up of volunteers from over 10 EU member states who organize weekly events with Members of the European Parliament, European Commission representatives, EU activists and scientists – has organized an online event with a clear idea: to facilitate communication and understanding between different generations in order to have a meaningful discussion about the future of Europe.

This is especially important as we navigate the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

Let’s now discover some information about this event.

Let’s Discuss Europe Across Generations

As Europeans, we all have a stake in the future of our continent. That’s why MeetEU has organized the Co-Creation workshop. This online event brings together experts from European, national, and local institutions with people from all over the continent to develop ideas for promoting intergenerational exchange on our shared future in the European Union.

By bringing together different generations and perspectives, the goal is to come up with creative solutions to the problems facing our continent and build a stronger, more united Europe.

At this point, you may think you don’t have enough knowledge or expertise on EU topics. Well, the event has been planned specifically to address this issue.

You don’t have to be an EU expert to participate. The Co-Creation workshop is a chance to collaborate with decision-makers and experts, exchange ideas with Europeans from all over the continent, and contribute your unique perspective to the conversation

Don’t miss this chance to be part of shaping the future of Europe and promoting intergenerational exchange.

To join the workshop, simply register here and join MeetEU online on December 20th at 19:00. Sign up now and bring your ideas to the table!

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L'articolo Shaping the Future of Europe: A Co-Creation Workshop proviene da Youth Networks.