European Youth Parliament (EYP)

We’re thrilled to open the voting for the EYP Picture of the Year 2024! ✨Since 2011, this annual tradition has given the spotlight to the most special moments from our events across Europe. This year’s six most iconic photographs have been selected and are ready for your votes! 📍 Voting will take place exclusively on Instagram (@eyp_network). To cast your vote, simply like your favourite picture(s) and ensure you follow @eyp_network. Votes are open until December 29th, 23:59 CET. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the memories that unite us and support the picture that best captures the spirit of EYP for you!

This week, the EYP joined other civil society actors at the European Parliament in Strasbourg for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought ceremony and exchanges with this year’s finalists! 🏆 The Prize honours those showing incredible courage in defending democracy, justice, and fundamental freedoms. This year’s winners, Edmundo González Urrutia and María Corina Machado, represented by her daughter Ana Corina Sosa, alongside finalists Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, represented by his daughter Zhala Bayramova and the collectives Women Wage Peace & Women of the Sun, highlighted the power of free and fair elections and the role of youth in building a just future. This inspiring event reaffirmed our commitment to promoting democracy and human rights—values at the heart of our FOCUS project. ✊ 🔗 Learn more about the FOCUS project and how you can join on this link: https://lnkd.in/dhyhrikx

🌟 The EYP is present in more than 30 countries, and with so many different insights and practices cultivated across Europe, the Summer Academy is a key network-wide training event for knowledge-sharing on how to run EYP National Committees. We're excited to share that in 2025, the Summer Academy will go to Poznan 🇵🇱 and will be organised by Julia Walczak! With the calls for Head Trainer and Editor now open, if you're interested in either leading a team of trainers or documenting the event, we encourage you to check out the full call and apply before the 7th of January. 💫 📌 You can find more info here: https://lnkd.in/dpjFJn8S

The EYP empowers youth in all of Europe! Our "Resilient Youth Civic Spaces for All" (RYCSA) project bridges perspectives, creates shared values, and inspires a future of further collaboration in Eastern Partnership countries. This year, the local EYP events of the RYCSA project have come to an end! With over 500 participants in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine, together we held 11 events - all to empower young voices and strengthen civic spaces across Europe. A huge thank you to all the participants and supporters who made this journey possible! The project made a lasting impact on hundreds of participants and it’s all thanks to you! All activities under the Resilient Youth Civic Spaces for All project are supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. #ResilientYouth #CivicSpacesforAll @AuswaertigesAmt #EYP #YoungEurope

💫 Are you finishing your studies, starting out on your professional journey, or contemplating a career shift? The EYP Mentorship Programme pairs you with experienced alumni who can share insights, offer guidance, and help you navigate your next steps in these moments.   🌟 Over the years, we have asked some of our previous mentees to share how the EYP Mentorship Programme has helped out on their journeys. Swipe to read Anouck's 🇫🇷, Leila's 🇮🇹, and Klara's 🇸🇮 impressions!   📌 This programme offers a space where you can explore your goals, ask questions, and shape your path with the help of someone who understands the complexities of starting out or changing direction. Since 2018, 189 mentor-mentee pairs have created a strong foundation of support and collaboration. Some mentees have even returned as mentors, passing on their knowledge and experience to others.   📅 Applications close on December 15th. Don’t miss out on the last chance to join as a mentee in 2025!   ⏩ Check out this link to find the application and more information: https://lnkd.in/dSB2KAq2

🌟 Young voices matter, especially when it comes to shaping conversations on topics like insurance — issues that may not seem youth-oriented at first glance but are deeply relevant to our future. The EYP is built on the idea of amplifying these voices, making them heard and impactful to stakeholders across Europe. Organised by our partner – Insurance Europe, a survey was launched to gather young people's views and experiences on insurance. 💭 🔵 Prior-knowledge about the topic is not needed to contribute, the 5-minute survey helps the EYP in contributing to a broader conversation about insurance where your opinions will be presented to stakeholders! As a bonus, by filling out the survey you enter a draw to win a €100 train voucher – perfect for your next EYP Session! ⏩ You can participate in the survey here: https://lnkd.in/eYccVWMf

💡 Innovation is the driving force behind creating a more sustainable future and by embracing fresh ideas and creative solutions, we want to pave the way for meaningful change in our network and the world at large! 🌿 🟡 Last weekend the winners of the Idea Competition gathered in Berlin for the Kick Off Meeting where they expanded their knowledge about the climate crisis, examined the problems with sustainability within the EYP network, and learned more about existing initiatives and how decisions on sustainability policies are being made in the network. Additionally, they identified stakeholders they want to reach out to, set minimum and maximum goals for their projects, and developed milestones guiding their work in the next few months. 💫 Next up, they will be introduced to their mentors, who are experienced alumni working in the field, and will plan on how and where they can test their idea at an EYP session. We’ll update you on the progress, stay tuned! 🌱 This programme is part of #ClimateYouthActionPlan (#CYAP), an EYP project that empowers sustainability practices. In partnership with the E.ON Stiftung, CYAP engages young people in discussions on the topic of sustainability and combatting the climate crisis. The idea competition is supported by thinkubator.earth

Each year in the EYP, across hundreds of events all over Europe, we create countless unforgettable memories. And oh, how happy we are that thanks to our talented volunteers in EYP Media Teams, so many of these moments are captured forever! 📸 As 2024 draws to a close, the annual EYP Picture Competition is back, and once again, we’re curating a gallery of the best EYP pictures from the year. Tell your EYP Media friends to submit their favourite pics, and they might just be voted to become the next EYP Picture of the Year! The winner will also receive a 100€ voucher. For the non-Media crowds, get ready to vote for your favourites! For once we gather all the pictures, we'll post them right here on Instagram so you can double-tap the ones you like the most! Find out more about the competition and submit your pictures by December 17th through the link below: https://lnkd.in/d5KUBkJY

Do you know what is needed to create lasting democracies in Europe? At least one part of the answer is investing in youth and investing in their experiences with democracy. That's exactly the mission of the EYP and an objective of the YOUROPE project, in which EYP is one of the partners. Last week Anya and Saskia from the International Office attended the kick off meeting of the Horizon research project YOUROPE. The EYP will work together with research institutions and other partners to conduct research on democratic spaces for young people, connect with policymakers and show practical ways in which young people engage with democracy at EYP sessions. The project will run until 2027 including some international and national level events, in a limited number of countries connected to the scope of the research: Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Poland, Türkiye The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

With hundreds of Media Teams comprised of volunteers documenting EYP events, and dozens of Communications channels run entirely by young people, Media and Communications plays a key role in the many skills the EYP offers to its participants! That's why we're very happy to announce that the Media Academy 2025, the largest EYP capacity building event for training in communications, is headed to Slovenia, Novo Mesto, and will be organised by João Lopes and Karin Pust! We have now opened calls for the Head Trainer and the Editor of the event. If you're interested in creating and structuring the training materials and the vision of the Media Academy with your team of trainers, or you wish to help shape how the event and its outcomes reach the entire EYP network, this is a call for you. You can find the applications through the link in our bio, the deadline is December 16th!