Panel Discussion
Long-term perspective: Next 10 years of the European youth programmes
On Friday 20 September, we will host a panel discussion titled ‘Long-term perspective: Next 10 years of the European youth programmes’. The panel discussion will be live-streamed directly from our annual RAY Network Meeting in Vilnius.
AIM and FOCUS
The main aim of this panel discussion is to explore the outcomes and main take-away points from the RAY Triangular Summit and the RAY STRAT Think Tank Meeting and reflect on the identified challenges and recommendations with stakeholders of the European youth (work) field. The discussion will include the following aspects:
– Which challenges have been identified?
– How can/should the European youth (work) sector react to them?
– Which long-term strategic changes are needed for the European youth programmes (Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps)?
– How can/should the European youth (work) sector develop in the next 10 years?
– What is the state of art on future research in the field of youth, why is there a need to research the future and how is this connected to the identified challenges?
– Which dimensions should future research in the field of youth focus on?
PANELISTS
– Justina Garbauskaitė, RAY national research for Lithuania
– Leonardo Dongiovanni, Programme Manager, Youth Policy and Programmes, European Commission, Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Culture and Sport
– Tobias Flessenkemper, Head of the Youth Department, Directorate for Democracy, Council of Europe representative
– Álvaro González Pérez, Policy Officer, Funding & Civic Space, European Youth Forum
– Andreas Karsten, RAY transnational research coordination
WHAT?
Long-term perspective: Next 10 years of the European youth programmes
WHEN?
Friday, 20 September, 11:00-12:00 CEST
WHERE?
Livestream, which can be followed online via Facebook and YouTube. Links will come later!
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> More information about the panelists will follow within the next few weeks on our social media, so stay tuned!
CONTEXT
The main aim of the RAY Triangular Summit, which took place in May 2024[1], was to foster an informed discourse between stakeholders from different fields and explore how the evidence-based research can contribute to youth work practice, to youth policy development in Europe, to relevant strategies, as well as the further development of the European youth programmes and their mid-term evaluations. Finally, the Summit illustrated the impact and showcased the outcomes of the European youth programmes. The following four main challenges, emerging from the research, were discussed: The European youth programmes are excellent intercultural learning environments. How can these opportunities be made accessible to more and more diverse young people?; Young people and youth workers encounter mis- and disinformation daily. How can the European youth programmes strengthen media literacy of young people and youth workers?; Young people increasingly wish to address sociopolitical challenges through their participation in the European youth programmes. What changes are needed to better support them?; The multiple crises of our time have strong impacts on young people and the youth field. How can the European youth programmes strengthen resilience in our day and time?
The report including main outcomes can be found HERE as well as the key messages HERE.
The main aim of the RAY STRAT Think Tank Meeting, which took place in June 2024, was to discuss and provide orientation on key strategic issues for the development of the next generation of the European Youth Programmes, in particular the strengthening of participation and democracy. Potentials for the improvement of the European youth programmes, including any strategic gaps in coverage and approach were discussed and recommendations were developed with the aim to provide clarity and orientation to stakeholder of the European youth programmes on how to navigate the changing European landscapes as well as develop the European youth programmes further. Prior to the meeting an input paper was developed which presented a curated selection of data as well as three main challenges: Strengthening democracy while democracies are getting weaker; Strengthening digital literacy while fake new proliferate; Strengthening diversity while navigating multiple crises. Additional challenges were determined during the meeting and included in the discussion.
The recommendations are currently summarized and will be published by the end of August.
[1] The Summit brought together 120 participants, 24 national delegations and European stakeholders, from the fields of practice, policy and research to discuss the evidence-based research from the latest RAY Monitoring surveys for Erasmus+ Youth and the European Solidarity Corps.