The Connecting Youth conference will take place in Paris, 4 July 2016, in the margins of the Western Balkans Summit. Connecting Youth will bring together 150 young people from the EU and Western Balkans countries, to discuss common challenges and work towards finding joint solutions.

The participants will join forces in 4 parallel groups working on the following topics:

A. Youth on the move, education on the move – Education and mobility for young people

Questions for discussion

• Which are the European exchange programmes and student mobility schemes available to the Western Balkans? What can be done more in the region to maximise their potential?
• Which are the opportunities for Vocational and Educational Training for the Western Balkans? How can young people be more aware of them?
• What could be done to promote mobility in Europe even more strongly (including between the EU and the Western Balkans)?

B. Knocking on job market’s doors – Employment and entrepreneurship for young people

Questions for discussion

• What more can be done to address youth unemployment?
• What can the Western Balkans learn from programmes tackling youth unemployment within the EU?
• Is youth entrepreneurship an efficient tool for countering youth unemployment?
• What more can be done to motivate young people to become entrepreneurs and open new businesses?

C. Not just another brick in the wall – Youth engagement & participation

Questions for discussion

• What can be done to increase the number of young people actively engaging in political and societal life? What is the key to making the young become more interested in national / European policy making?
• What role can the European Voluntary Service play in further promoting civic engagement and contributing to democracy, rule of law and fundamental freedoms in the Western Balkans?
• What can be done to prevent violent radicalisation among the youth? How can local communities, civil society & national authorities better reach out to the youth, particularly those who are or feel marginalised?
• How can the representation of young people and their ideas be better ensured both on national and European levels?

D. Get up, stand up, speak up! – Youth and the media

Questions for discussion

• What are the challenges in strengthening free & robust media in the Western Balkans (and in the EU)? Do young people in the EU and in the Western Balkans have access to a variety of objective, good quality and independent information?
• What can be done to further support professional journalism and the training of journalists at national / European level?
• How can young journalists be helped to adhere to and maintain professional and ethical standards?

Source: SALTO-YOUTH