“The UN World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg has just ended. As Chairman of the Assembly of European Regions’ Youth Sub-Committee, I am very proud of the fact that we can focus on the follow-up, so soon after this international event” said Jörgen Hedberg in his opening speech to the 1st AER Youth Summer School.

The 1st AER Youth Summer School, which is running from 9th-12th September in Opatija (HR), is devoted to the concept of environmental sustainability. During these four days, 42 young people aged between eighteen and twenty-five, coming from eleven different countries, will be discussing the issues that are vital to their future, such as democracy, consumption patterns, natural resources, health and life-styles. Their common objective is not to reach a new general declaration on sustainable environment but to find genuine solutions immediately applicable in this field. In fact, each participant has been asked to prepare the working sessions in the form of a home assignment with well-defined projects and ideas on how to improve his/her local environment in practice.

“The future belongs to the young people of today. It is essential for a political organisation such as the AER to encourage their involvement in public life as active citizens. Only then we can achieve our vision of environmental sustainability in practice. We hope that this AER Youth Summer School will contribute to serving this objective” concluded Mr Hedberg.

The 1st AER Youth Summer School is organised by the AER member regions Sörmland (S), Vestfold (N), Catalunya (E), Devon (UK), Niederösterreich (A), and Harghita (RO).

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