The Youth Regional Network (YRN) General Assembly 2024 took place between the 14th and the 17th of March in Zalău, Sălaj County, Romania. Marking the first revival anniversary of the YRN, the event featured numerous engaging activities for young people, study visits, YRN Presidium elections, and a MEET Debate on the Future of Europe.
The YRN General Assembly was a great success, gathering up to 80 diverse participants from all over Europe: young people (YRN members, local high school students, youth council representatives…) themselves of course, as well as politicians and civil servants from AER member regions in Sălaj, Nordland, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Maramures Counties, dedicated to supporting the programme.
A Memorable Event
The much-anticipated event began with a warm welcome from the AER Secretariat, the YRN President, Jim Simonsen Jenssen, and the YRN Vice-President and host, Norbert Nagy. Participants were presented with a general overview of the host region, Sălaj County, and were given an insight into the many activities to come. The welcome reception was the perfect opportunity for existing members to reunite, and for prospective ones to introduce themselves and get to know the others ahead of the event.
In the following days, participants had the chance to attend workshops organised by the YRN Thematic Committees on Youth Participation & Governance, Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment, and Mental Health & Wellbeing. The workshops allowed young people to participate in and contribute to important discussions on topics they are passionate about, allowing them to share opinions, experience, best practices and challenges, and to come up with ideas for future activities.
The conclusions of each workshop (from mental health resources and strategies to encourage youth participation, to possible campaigns advocating for gender equality) aim to shape the future work of each Thematic Committee.
The workshops even allowed for online participation, ensuring that active committee members unable to travel still had the opportunity to give their input and contribute to the conversation.
Furthermore, the hosts at Sălaj County Council allowed everyone to explore the region with two insightful study visits – one in Zalău, the County residence, and the other at Fort Silvan, a picturesque vineyard in the Sălaj countryside. During these visits, participants had the chance to immerse themselves in the local culture, sample regional delicacies, and learn about the rich history, culture and traditions of the area.
Thus, the YRN General Assembly not only facilitated important discussions but also created lasting memories and friendships among participants.
YRN General Assembly & Elections
Every year, the YRN General Assembly allows to take stock of the past year’s activities and achievements, notably by adopting the YRN Activity Report, as well as YRN official statements and policy recommendations. It is also an important electoral moment for the network: the election of the YRN Presidium. The Presidium is composed of the President, two Vice-Presidents, and four Chairs of the Thematic Committees, and is elected by YRN members at the General Assembly.
The elections were preceded by a moment dedicated to the presentation and adoption of the YRN Activity Report 2022-2024, the YRN Policy Recommendations for a more Democratic, Inclusive, Green, and Digital Europe and the YRN Statement on Youth Participation and Governance. This content, demonstrating the achievements of the YRN over the past year, fully marked the anniversary of its successful revival.
The outgoing Presidium bid farewell, expressing gratitude for the wonderful year of hard work of the YRN and its members. Then, online and in-person participants were able to meet the candidates for the Presidium and ask them relevant questions before voting.
The members have chosen! – Here are the names of the newly-elected Presidium:
- President: Norbert Nagy, Sălaj
- First Vice-President: Sigrun Myrvang, Innlandet
- Second Vice-President: Kassandra Petsa, Nordland
- Chair of the Thematic Committee on Youth Participation & Governance: Mathilde Colarte, Wallonia
- Chair of the Thematic Committee on Mental Health & Wellbeing: Jack McLaughlin, Donegal
- Chair of the Thematic Committee on Green & Sustainable Europe: Marsel Haka, Tirana
- Chair of the Thematic Committee on Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment: Elona Matoshi, Kosovo
MEET Debate
The YRN General Assembly 2024 also featured a MEET Intergenerational Regional Debate on “citizens’ participation in the upcoming EU elections and the role of the EU in the green transition”, part of the MEET (Mobilise Europe = Engage Together) Project funded by the European Union. The debate took place on Thursday, the 15th of March, and gathered at least 70 participants from all over Europe. The purpose of the Debate was to create a space for young people from different backgrounds to connect and to engage in meaningful conversations about the future of Europe in view of the upcoming European Elections.
The start of the discussions was marked by keynote speeches from YRN President Jim Simonsen Jenssen, YRN Vice-President and host Norbert Nagy, Sălaj County President & Vice-President Dinu Iancu Sălăjanu and Szilágyi Róbert István, and Marina Medarić, Subprefect of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Council, Co-Chair of the AER Election Committee.
Next, students from Colegiul National Silvania in Zalau, a European Parliament Ambassador School, delivered a presentation on the forthcoming EU elections. They educated participants about their voting rights, election procedures, and the functioning of the European Union.
The debate featured three main activities surrounding the EU elections and the green transition:
- A general quiz to help participants ease into the topics and familiarise themselves with the concept of the debate: participants were given two coloured cards to be used during the multiple-choice quiz. Depending on their answer, they had to lift up the colour corresponding to their choice.
- A panel discussion: The panel comprised representatives from three distinct European regions, offering a diverse range of perspectives:
- Norbert Nagy, YRN Vice-President from Sălaj County
- Eivind Holst, Mayor of Nordland County Council
- Ionela Flavia Braica, Jebel European Youth Village 2024, Timiș County
The discussion mainly focused on the implementation of the green transition in Europe, taking into account the needs and requests of the younger generations regarding the most pressing environmental issues. This topic is of particularly great importance for the YRN given the existence of the newly-created Thematic Committee on Green & Sustainable Europe. Thus, participants were eager to contribute to the conversation, sharing their opinions and suggestions on what could be done in order to ensure a more sustainable future for Europe.
- Discussion groups: to ensure that all participants at the debate had the opportunity to speak and share their opinions, attendees were divided into 3 smaller discussion groups and asked to delve further into the topics of the debate. Attendees were very enthusiastic and reached insightful conclusions regarding Europe and its future.
