Maylinda Bajrami, Chair of the Thematic Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment of AER’s Youth Regional Network (YRN), shares her experience participating in the European Youth Event 2023. Since 2014, the European Parliament has organised this international event to bring young Europeans closer to each other and to gain insights into young people’s ideas, expectations, and concerns about Europe.

Thousands of people attend this event every year to interact, inspire one another, and exchange their views. Our YRN representative had the opportunity to network with many young people from different organisations, as well as share information about the progress of the YRN.

She handed out flyers advertising the upcoming YOUTHopia opportunities to many interested young people. In particular, she informed young participants about the “Unboxing the European Cohesion Policy” workshops,  a series of three online workshops where young people will get the chance to learn more about the EU’s main investment plan that greatly impacts cities and regions across Europe. She also advertised the YOUTHopia Interrail contest, where young people can win two Interrail tickets by posting a creative picture of a Cohesion Policy Funded Project in their region, displaying themselves and the sign “Funded by the European Union” or “Funded by European Regional Development Fund” (and all other cohesion policy funds).

Maylinda looks forward to next year’s EYE and hopes that, after experiencing this unique event firsthand, the YRN will send a delegation to the next European Youth Event… and even plan a YRN-led activity or workshop!