From October 4th to 5th, we had the privilege of being hosted at the European Committee of the Regions for the ‘All Together for European Elections 2024‘ event. This event was organized by the Directorate-General for Communication of the European Parliament, specifically the Youth Outreach Unit, Civil Society Outreach Unit, Cultural Outreach Unit, and Strategic Support Unit.
It was an outstanding experience connecting with professionals in the fields of policy, advocacy, and communications from various civil society organizations, government bodies, and partners. Together, we discussed, exchanged best practices, and explored how we can make a meaningful impact in the upcoming European Elections.
The event kicked off with a fantastic networking opportunity, allowing us to understand the context of fellow participants and build a framework for future campaigns. These campaigns aim to raise awareness of the upcoming elections, promote civic engagement and advocacy, and facilitate the sharing of resources and expertise among participating organizations.
The program not only facilitated partnership building but also strengthened connections between pan-European and national partners, fostering a dialogue that benefits us all. We were also introduced to the ‘together.eu’ platform, which has the ambitious goal of garnering over 1 million sign-ups for advocacy campaigns.
The sessions were highly participatory, revolving around our engagement in building a strong network of collaboration and support for the European Elections. They highlighted our strategies, goals, and initiatives for expanding and connecting our networks.
Additionally, the program provided valuable insights into the European Parliament’s Election Strategy, featuring an informative Q&A session. Following this, a plenary session focused on ‘Key issues, challenges, and opportunities that our election campaigns should target,’ allowing participants to share their opinions, expertise, and learn from each other.
The final and most comprehensive set of sessions centered around the ‘Campaign Design Lab.’ Here, participants from various organizations presented their upcoming campaigns in different contexts. This encouraged open conversations, feedback sharing, critical thinking, and idea exchange, enriching both participants and campaign designers and fostering a holistic and constructive discussion.
The program concluded with a message from representatives of the European Parliament, summarizing the Campaign Design Lab and paving the way for further conversations and advocacy building within the YMCA. We are immensely grateful for the opportunity to attend such a prestigious event, organized by a highly professional team.
