Young European Ambassadors take part in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
From 24 to 27 March, four Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) – Andrea Borraccetti from Italy, Mehraj Aliyev from Azerbaijan (alumnus), Victoria Arakelyan from Georgia, and Yelyzaveta Kaidash from Ukraine – joined the 48th session of the Congress which took place at the Palais de l’Europe and the European Parliament premises in Strasbourg, France.
The four YEAs have been selected to become youth delegates as part of the ‘Rejuvenating Politics’ initiative of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
The March plenary of the Congress is the first stage of a one-year mandate as youth delegates to the Congress. The delegates will have the chance to develop personal projects in their local and regional areas, and join a second plenary in October.
Delegates had the opportunity to learn about the Council of Europe’s work on the international level, network among fellow youth delegates and meet relevant stakeholders who can support them in implementing projects back home.
“Participating in the work of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities as youth delegates allowed us to experience democracy at the local and regional level firsthand,” said Italian YEA Andrea Borraccetti. “Many topics were discussed, such as the role of regions in the EU enlargement process, the alarming situation regarding the attack on the rule of law and freedom in Georgia, and the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. Having the opportunity to speak as youth delegates undoubtedly enriched the debate with insights and reflections useful for the recommendations that were voted on”.
The ‘Rejuvenating Politics’ initiative was launched by the Congress in 2014 as part of its commitment to promoting the participation of young people in public life and in the decision-making process at the local and regional levels.
The initiative’s ‘Youth Delegates’ project gives one young person from each of the 46 Council of Europe member states a unique opportunity to sit in a European assembly alongside local and regional elected representatives, although they do not hold voting rights.
The YEAs found the experience productive and were happy to see that young people were given the chance to take part in vital discussions affecting Europe’s future.
The Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) initiative brings together socially engaged youth from the six Eastern Partner countries, the European Union and the United Kingdom to foster dialogue and to raise awareness about the EU and its cooperation with its Eastern partner countries.
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Video: Andrea Borraccetti and Yelyzaveta Kardash discuss the importance of media literacy and the YEAs work