On 20th-23rd February, Petter Jacobsen from Norway, a member of our Pool of External Representatives, attended the European Conference on Local Youth Work and Democracy in Brussels!
This event brings together more than 300 participants and focused on enhancing the quality of youth work and the participation of young people at local and municipal levels.
Here is what Petter had to say after attending this year’s event:
What was your motivation behind attending the European Conference on Local Youth Work and Democracy?
My interest in attending the European Conference on Local Youth Work and Democracy was driven by my eagerness to share knowledge about youth life in rural areas, as well as to learn from other attendees.
There is a gap in opportunities and services between rural and urban youth, and due to that I believe it is very important for rural voices to be represented at this conference. The gap between rural and urban areas varies greatly throughout Europe, and may include access to the internet, access to health services, lack of cultural and sport events, opportunities to get educated etc.
It is not feasible that everyone everywhere will have the exact same opportunities, but if the rural youth do not make their voice heard, the gap will grow larger and rural youth may fall behind with regards to jobs, technology, possibilities in life, and so on.
What was inspiring about the event?
The most inspiring aspect to me from this conference was to see all the fantastic work that is being done all over Europe aimed at youth. The conference gathered 300 participants from 36 countries, and all attendees are making an extra effort to make youth life in Europe even better, no matter what your background is. Attending such a conference involves meeting a lot of great people from all over Europe, and it has been super motivating, fun, educational, and inspiring to represent rural youth at this conference.
