INCLUSION OF YOUNG EXPERTS IN POLICY PROCESS: PARTICIPANTS FOR THE YOUNG BLED STRATEGIC FORUM 2018 SELECTED

 

Yesterday, August 12th we celebrated World Youth Day. As Priority area 10 of the EUSDR is focusing on Institutional Capacity and Cooperation we aim to include young professionals in the policy processes that are defining not only youth policies but tackle the major societal challenges. Institutions need to be able and ready to work with various groups of the society, as most of their work is dedicated back to its citizens.

We have decided to take the opportunity of theYoung Bled Strategic Forum that is an integral part of the annual Bled Strategic Forum, a leading conference in Central and South East Europe focused on discussing and seeking solutions to pressing regional and global issues, organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and the Centre for European Perspective.

Special emphasis at the Forum will be given to cross-regional cooperation. A new generation of leaders will demonstrate that such cooperation is not only necessary, but inevitable for positive next steps in democratisation, fighting corruption, terrorism and climate change, and fostering social, economic, and cross-cultural sustainable development. To do this, young leaders have to learn from their peers from different regions, sharing their knowledge, ideas and know-how. Sustainable regional cooperation programmes are the key to a comprehensive, inclusive, and innovative approach that engages youth.

The Young BSF 2018 will host young leaders under the title: “Sustainable Security: The Role of Youth in Bridging the Divides”. A ‘sustainable security’ approach prioritises the resolution of the interconnected underlying drivers of insecurity and conflict, with an emphasis on preventive rather than reactive strategies. The central premise of the sustainable security approach is that we cannot control all the consequences of insecurity successfully, but have to work to deal with the root causes of instability.

We have encouraged young leaders from Danube region between 18 and 35 years to participate through the public call. They needed to list their experiences, most pressing issues in their countries and proposed solutions that would have wider impact. The YBSF team selected 30 young professionals from 12 Danube countries that will join workshops, debates, round tables and study visits in Ljubljana and Bled, Slovenia, from 7 – 11 September. They have various backgrounds and working experiences – some are students or working at the Universities, some working for non-governmental institutions, international organizations, city administrations, there are as well entrepreneurs among them.

More details on the topics discussed are available at Young Bled Strategic Forum and on Bled Strategic Forum website.