With the moving of the European Youth Forum (YFJ) General Assembly to online platforms, the meeting was divided into many meetings to allow work on policy papers amendments, and separate vote and space to discuss with candidates to the Board of the YFJ.
The Brussels Office led the work on amendments with the Youth Policy Group, especially with Alex Taylor and Sheldon Ellis, our official YPG delegates to the YFJ GA. The YPG met to agree on amendments, which were then submitted and voted upon during separate Policy Commissions, on November 6th and November 7th.
We managed to see 15 of our amendments passing, amending the Policy Paper on Youth, Peace and Security, and the one on Quality Youth Participation. The office also supported the work of our delegates during the YFJ GA on November 20, 21st and 22nd , where a new YFJ Board was elected.
On November 16th we participated to the latest meeting of the Erasmus coalition, which brought us the latest news on the negotiation of the new Erasmus programme, and allowed us to give input that will be brought to the European institutions negotiating the new programme.
We monitored if the increased budget will be kept as promised to us following our campaigns and messages to the Institutions, and the features of the new programme. If you would like to give us your input on what the next Erasmus+ should look like, please contact us at Ilenia(at)ymcaeurope.com
On November 5th our Youth Policy Group Katerina Loukopolou represented us at an event organised by the European Bureau of WOSM, the Scout movement, held in cooperation with he OECD and highlighting the response of youth organisations to COVid 19.
We brought the best practices and challenges that you can find in the article dedicated on the topic on our webpage, highlighting how YMCAs responded swiftly and with commitment, despite all the difficulties they encountered. Full information about YMCA response to Covid19 here.
The Brussels Office worked to promote fundraising opportunities among its membership, in particular local ones, like the pilot activities of the European Youth Foundation. We fed into their designing earlier in the year suggesting themes aligned with our strategy, and we participated to the info session on November 19th to be able to better support our membership in applying.
On November 23rd we also trained an YMCA (YMCA Siderno) to apply to a pilot activity, and we hope it will achieve some great success.
As every year, the Brussels Office took care of drafting the narrative part of YMCA Europe operational grant. We highlighted our plans for 2021, as we steer into a new planning and strategy season.
The Operating Grant is one of the most important sources od support for the work of YMCA Europe each year, and a tool of partnership with the work of the European Union. We were also involved in planning other partnership for other project proposals, which we hope will be successful in 2021.
What do you want YMCA Europe to be for the Europe you want in the future? We have asked some of the young people across our movement what they want …. Here are some
