YMCA Europe Migrant and Refugee Conference
The Brussels Office in January worked to support the organisation of the Migrant and Refugee conference focusing on a questionnaire on mapping of activities and training needs. The Office also prepared a workshop for the conference dedicated to fundraising, and important topic due to the start of new funding and programmes in 2021.
Follow Up Conference on the Future of Europe
The EU institutions announced in 2019 the launch of a participatory Conference on the Future of Europe, a moment of deep transformation for the EU which should be based on direct input from citizens and civil society. Due to the start of the CoVid 19 pandemic soon after, the process slowed down.
European Youth Forum organised a follow up with the European Parliament and the European Commission, where we, alongside other Youth Organizations, gave our views to MEPs Daniel Freund, Greens) and Commission officials (Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul, Deputy Head of Unit, Citizens' Dialogues, DG COMM) about the role of young people and youth organisations in the process.
Ukraine Conference on EU Youth Goals
On January 14th, the Brussels Office delivered a workshop to the YMCA Ukraine about EU Youth Goals. The Office discussed the input YMCA Europe gave into their creation, the significance of the goals for our action, and how to use them in the best way in advocacy actions and projects.
The Conference was organised by YMCA Ukraine as part of the training of its members.
Erasmus Coalition Meeting
The Brussels Office participated on January 19th to the latest meeting of the Erasmus Coalition. The Coalition gathers the LifeLong Learning Platform and European Youth Forum members, joining advocacy efforts to improve and influence the Erasmus programme.
The meeting was crucial as we are in a unique phase were Erasmus calls are launched, but the new Erasmus+ 2021 programme is not expected to be launched before June. We were also able to receive a timeline of the most important moments for youth policy in the next few months during the two next presidencies, an important tool to plan our advocacy.
Consultation with YFJ
The Brussels Office led a conversation with the European Youth Forum on the role and activities of the YFJ for its members. The consultation aimed at giving YMCA Europe’s contribution in the shaping of the YFJ’s future activities, processes and themes, highlighting how to best serve our young people and bring even more opportunities for them to be represented and to learn.
COP26 in Scotland
The Brussels Office was called to meet with YMCA Scotland and several other actors to plan YMCA participation to the next COP26 conference in Glasgow.
This very important event for environmental global policy should see massive youth participation, and the Brussels Office will contribute to the best of its possibilities to find opportunities to allow this as much as possible, through funding and partnerships.
Meeting YMCA Nederland
The Brussels Office met with the YMCA Nederland International Committee to overview the newest information on funding for youth and youth advocacy.
The work focused mostly on the new sources of international funding and the best approaches according to the most important themes for the YMCA. This is a yearly workshop and conversation which can be organised by any YMCA who wishes so, which allows us to support our members in their international work.