Your Europe, Your Say! 2025 – Giving Youth a Voice – Visit to Antun Gustav Matos Gymnasium from Djakovo
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will once again hold its youth event “Your Europe, Your Say”. This year’s theme, which will be discussed by young people from all over Europe, is their role in shaping Europe’s future. Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, an EESC member, visited school from Djakovo on 4 February 2025 to prepare the students and teachers for the event.
On 13-14 March 2025, the EESC will bring together nearly 100 young participants from youth organisations, national youth councils and secondary schools as well as 37 teachers from EU member states, candidate countries and the UK for its annual youth event, Your Europe, Your Say! (YEYS).
The event will focus on the role of young people in collectively shaping a resilient future. It aims to equip them to engage in civic action and continue to contribute to participatory democracy activities in their communities and beyond.
Following the assessment and deliberation of hundreds of applications for YEYS 2025 from secondary schools, the 36 secondary schools have been selected, including Antun Gustav Matos Gymnasium from Djakovo.
Visit to the Gymnasium in Djakovo
The school was visited by Lidija Pavic-Rogosic, who, in addition to presenting the EESC and YEYS, introduced to some 60 students the work and activities of the Committee by presenting the concept of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Given that the lecture was intended for young people, interactive methods that are close to young people were also used, such as Slido. They answered several questions, but also wrote about what sustainable development means to them. At the end, there was a discussion about how they can contribute to a better quality of life in their community, for example through volunteering. Some of the students shared their experiences, including the work of the school volunteer club.
It was an opportunity to meet student Lana Djuric and teacher Stela Lesic, who will participate in the event in Brussels. There, the student will meet young people from other countries with whom she will be able to exchange views and make recommendations on topics related to the event. This is a unique opportunity for young people to become better acquainted with the functioning of the EU and participate in the discussion in a multicultural environment.
What will happen in Brussels?
The 2025 Your Europe, Your Say event will consist of interactive sessions and collaborative workshops. The sessions will be led by experienced moderators, helping young people to express their views and shape them into recommendations, which will then be used to communicate their expectations, concerns, interests, priorities and hopes for a European future that is in line with their expectations.
Some of the questions that are expected to stimulate open communication and discussion and guide young people’s engagement and dialogue are:
- What kind of Europe do you want to live in and what issues are important to you?
- What kind of European future do you want and what role should young people play in shaping it?
- How can young people contribute to creating a Europe that reflects the values and priorities of its citizens?
The event will culminate in a plenary session where participants will translate their ideas into recommendations.
For those interested, the opening and closing of YEYS on March 14, 2025 will be live-streamed. You will find a link to watch and more information on the following page: https://www.eesc.europa.eu/en/agenda/our-events/events/your-europe-your-say-2025
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