A Conference by Young People and for Young People
Yesterday, a conference took place with an objective that was both uncommon and deeply necessary: to listen to the voices, opinions, and perspectives of young people on the challenges facing Catalan and European society, on the occasion of the commemoration of forty years since Catalonia’s entry into the Community. Far from the traditional academic format, the event embraced a participatory and decentralised methodology.
A Different Format for a Generation That Wants to Be Heard
From the outset, the session moved away from the model of keynote lectures, adopting instead a small-group debate format. Each group would later appoint a delegate to present its conclusions to the minister.
At the beginning, participants were divided into thematic tables according to their prior selection. There were five thematic axes: democracy and human rights; economy, employment and social rights; climate emergency and ecological transition; technology and digital sovereignty; and security and global affairs. This structure enabled closer and more in-depth discussions among participants, guided by a moderator.
An Opening That Places Europe Between Values and Uncertainty
After a brief period for participants at each table to get to know one another, the session began. Introduced by …, … went on to present the motivations, intentions and objectives of the event, while also highlighting the two sides of the European project: the values it embodies and the historic prosperity it has brought about, but also the possibility that it may fracture or become distorted under the pressure of the historical and multifaceted crisis we are currently experiencing. It is here that young people, as a generation with their eyes firmly set on the future, contributed their grain of sand.
