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Inside the Brussels bubble: Two reviews of the JCI EUKHT

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Shaping the future of Europe: Young leaders and entrepreneurs present solutions on how to re-engage young people in politics


An international delegation of over 40 JCI members from 10 European countries gathered in Brussels to discuss the inclusion of young people in political decision-making processes with European policy-makers

October 11, 2018 – From October 7-11 more than 40 JCI Members from all over Europe met in Brussels for the annual JCI European Know-How Transfer to learn more about the work and functioning of European institutions and share their ideas on how to foster the political participation of young people to create sustainable solutions for the future of Europe.

The 2018 edition of the program focused especially on the involvement and representation of young people in political decision-making processes. The first two days included intensive workshops and discussions with representatives from the European Commission and other stakeholders from politics, business and civil society, in which the participants learnt about the European Union’s strategy on youth involvement and the role of civil society in European decision-making. During the second part of the program delegates accompanied Members of the European Parliament (MEP) to get an insight into the functionalities of the legislative body of the European Union and inform their MEPs about community projects in their home countries and the social impact they are creating on the local level.

As a special highlight of this year’s European Know-How Transfer, JCI Europe officially launched its campaign “Step Up For Europe” that aims to unite and mobilize young people to engage in political debates and take part in political decision-making processes to shape the future of Europe. In the opening ceremony JCI Executive Vice President for Europe Kevin Hin took the opportunity to present JCI Europe’s political positions that address topics that are important to young leaders and entrepreneurs in Europe such as political representation, sustainable development and creating better framework conditions for entrepreneurs. Former JCI member and current MEP Siegfried Muresan (EPP) from Romania, who took patronage of the JCI European Know-How Transfer, further emphasized the importance of the political participation of young people in his opening speech: “The benefits of Europe are particularly strong for our generation. I believe that the campaign Step Up For Europe is especially important now in the year before the European elections to motivate young people to vote but it will also stay important after the elections, as we need young people to work on the future of Europe.”

JCI (Junior Chamber International) Europe is a leading non-profit membership organization of young active citizens—many of them leaders and entrepreneurs—present in 34 European countries with over 25,000 members across the region. It empowers young active European citizens to take ownership of Europe and its future by contributing to the European identity, wearing it proudly and taking action to build the future they envision.

Engaging in activities focused on sustainable development locally and globally, JCI members take responsibility for their communities while empowering themselves through leadership and action. We believe that collaborative ownership between government, economy and civil society will produce sustainable solutions and impact.

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For more information about the European Know-How Transfer please visit www.jci.cc/eukht.

For more information on Step Up For Europe please visit www.stepupforeurope.eu.


Media Contact:

JCI Europe e. V.
Magdalena Riedel
+49 30 203 08 1527
info@europe.jci.cc


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