Created by the Assembly of European Regions in 2008, the Youth Regional Network (YRN) is a cross-regional youth platform, promoting active youth participation at regional level. Composed of youth regional / county councils, youth organisations, and of young people joining on an individual basis, in AER’s network and membership, the YRN provides young people with opportunities to express policy recommendations, to foster debate and capacity-building, to exchange good practices, to reach out to decision-makers and to influence policies. The YRN is a unique forum for young people from diverse regions to raise their voice collectively, while introducing a European dimension to youth policy in those regions.
Activities include: capacity-building, debates, workshops, policy work, elaboration of toolkits and statements, exchange of best practices, international events… all with the goal of making youth voices heard in regional and European policy-making, and in providing young people from all over Europe with a platform to meet, exchange views and learn from one another.
The YRN Presidium – A youth-led steering committee for the YRN
The YRN is youth-led, meaning that they develop their own policy recommendations, Thematic Committees (TCs) and capacity-building activities, and that YRN members (aged between 16 and 30 years old) directly elect their own Presidium, equivalent to a Steering Committee. The election of the YRN Presidium takes place as part of the YRN General Assembly. The current elected YRN Presidium is composed of the following members:
- President: Norbert Nagy (Sălaj, RO) – yrn.president@aer.eu
- 1st Vice-President: Jack McLaughlin (Donegal, IE) – yrn.vice-president1@aer.eu
- 2nd Vice-President: Odin Rønning (Nordland, NO) – yrn.vice-president2@aer.eu
- Chair of the TC on Youth Participation & Governance: Peter Mc Nelis (Donegal, IE) – yrn.tc-youth-participation@aer.eu
- Chair of the TC on Mental Health & Wellbeing: Irgesa Sadiku (Dibra, AL) – yrn.tc-mental-health@aer.eu
- Chair of the TC on Gender Equality & Women Empowerment: Griselda Rexhmati (Tirana, AL) – yrn.tc-gender-equality@aer.eu
- Chair of the TC on Green & Sustainable Europe: Asher Faruk Dvoinikov (Catalonia, ES) – yrn.tc-green-sustainable@aer.eu
Contact the YRN!
You can contact the YRN Presidium at the emails indicated above, or at presidium.yrn@aer.eu.
To reach out the the YRN Contact Person at the AER Secretariat, you can write to AER Programmes Coordinator, Jeanne Demonque, j.demonque@aer.eu.
The YRN Revival Process after the COVID-19 pandemic
After two years of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the YRN was revived, building from the momentum given by the youth delegates at the Summer Academy 2022, in Donegal (IE). After successfully sparking interest among young people in AER member regions (and beyond!), the new YRN was officially revived in March 2023!
